


Learning Period

by Emmeg, sunflowersandstars (Emmeg)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Couch Cuddles, Crushes, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Erections, Family, Flirting, Fluff, Getting Together, Hand Job, Kissing, Kuroo gets sick, M/M, Making Out, Mutual Pining, Pining, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Canon, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles, University, nothing graphic though, sorry Kuroo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-17
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2018-08-09 07:54:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 24,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7793251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmeg/pseuds/Emmeg, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmeg/pseuds/sunflowersandstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroo and Bokuto decide to room together and learn a lot about themselves and each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I was only able to really go through this once on my own. Feel free to point out any mistakes or misspellings!

                Getting used to living with Bokuto has definitely been a learning process. Kuroo was hesitant to agree to be roommates. For one thing, they don’t actually know each other _that_ well. The only time they hung out in high school was at training camps or volleyball tournaments. And while they always got along great, those meetings were always punctuated with time with their own teams, playing matches, and long drill sets. It definitely wasn’t anything close to living together.

For another, Kuroo’s not exactly sure he wants to ruin his one guaranteed friendship in college. Who’s to say he’ll make any other friends? And if living with Bokuto turns out to be a disaster and they drift apart, he’s not sure he can handle the rejection.

Luckily, they’ve both been learning. And Kuroo’s learned a lot.

He’s learned that Bokuto, while completely living up to your average college slob archetype, is also pretty tidy about certain things. He keeps his space in the bathroom nearly immaculate, except when he’s in a hurry. He is also pretty neat with cleaning his dirty dishes, which Kuroo appreciates. He doesn’t care about the fridge, though. About every two weeks Kuroo’s finding some moldy leftovers he forgot to re-heat. He also tends to use Kuroo’s food whenever he wants, but as long as he buys them both ice cream and gets Kuroo the occasional fancy coffee he figures they’re even.

He’s learned how sensitive Bokuto can be as well. He always knew the spiker was the baby on his team and has a tendency to be dramatic, but off the court, he is still pretty emotional. He once witnessed him crying when his bananas went bad before he had a chance to eat them. Kuroo’s also seen him get really depressed over really trivial things like grades, the bus schedule, or a bad hair day. The first few times he was in a bad mood, Kuroo wasn’t sure how to react. If it were Kenma, he’d know just how to provoke him into feeling better and when to keep his distance. With Bokuto he’s not so sure. Turns out lots of positive talk and sugary bribes were enough to get him back to normal, though. Overall, keeping Bokuto in a good mood isn’t that complicated.

He’s learned Bokuto is an early riser. He’s out the door at school or practice before Kuroo’s alarm even rings most days. He claims to be a night owl too, and though he does stay up late every so often, Bokuto’s usually the first to fall asleep. He’s also learned he can fall asleep anywhere. On the couch, in the car, on his desk, on the library floor. He’s even fallen asleep while leaning against Kuroo more than once.

It’s just another thing he’s had to adjust to: Bokuto’s lack of personal space. Growing up with Kenma has gotten him in the habit of giving people a wide personal bubble. Bokuto challenges this idea daily. He’s extremely tactile, bumping their shoulders together, slinging his arm around Kuroo, and just generally being a little too close for comfort. After a few months, Kuroo’s become more accustomed to it and actually doesn’t mind too much. In a way, he’s come to expect Bokuto’s giant bear hug of celebration he does every time their team wins. Even relishing the moment his feet leave the ground briefly while Bokuto hefts up his entire body.

Another weird thing he’s gotten accustomed to is Bokuto’s bare chest. For some reason, around the apartment he’s in a constant state of shirt-less-ness. Kuroo can’t say it’s an unwelcome sight. Bokuto has a nice chest. And abs. And arms. And ass. So, no. Not unwelcome at all. And although Kuroo might have some very gay thoughts to sort through from time to time, it’s not a bad arrangement. Sure there are adjustments and this learning period they’re going through, but now that they are halfway through their first year, Kuroo finally feels like they’ve hit their stride as roommates.

 

Bokuto likes to think he knows Kuroo pretty well by now. After all, it’s been half a school year since they decided to room together. He knows his class schedule, when he gets home, what days he’ll go immediately to bed, what kind of nasty coffee he takes, and what all his favorite snacks are. All of the essentials really.

For instance, he knows that today is lab day and that after Kuroo gets back from the lab he’s usually pretty happy. And since it is Friday he’ll probably call or text Kenma all night. Friday nights are the best. They both use it to decompress after a long week of volleyball practices and schoolwork. No one’s allowed to do any homework (definitely a rule Bokuto can get behind), they eat whatever they want, and usually end up watching a stupid show or movie together. Bokuto’s already looking forward to it.

The door to their dorm squeaks open and in comes a grinning Kuroo, followed by… a girl?

“Hey, Kuroo!” He jumps up from his place on the floor, currently surrounded by a tower of DVDs and video games.

“Hey, Bo.” He dumps his backpack onto the couch and starts unzipping some compartments.

The girl gives him a grimace-y half smile over Kuroo’s bowed head. “Hi.”

“Oh sorry!” Kuroo’s head pokes up from his backpack rummaging. “Noa, my roommate Bokuto Koutarou, Bo this is Noa she’s in my lab group.”

Bokuto doesn’t miss the use of her first name in his hasty introduction.

“Nice to meet you.” He says it warmly, taking her in. She’s awfully tall. Probably about the same as Kuroo, though it’s hard to tell with him doubled over the couch. Her hair is halfway up, pulled away from her face with an elegant clip. The rest is dark and shiny around her shoulders. She’s slim but muscular. He can see a pretty defined bicep visible over the binder she’s carrying.

“You’re the roommate on the volleyball scholarship?” She breaks up the sounds of Kuroo’s rustling.

“Yeah. Go team!” he laughs weakly at his own cheer.

Luckily she just grins back. “I’m on a basketball scholarship. Do you ever practice with the boy’s team in the gym?”

“Not really. We see them in the locker rooms every now and then I guess.”

She nods. “Do you know Masuko-san?”

Bokuto shakes his head. “Maybe. He’s on the basketball team?”

“He’s that giant guy with the weird hair,” Kuroo tells him while holding out a stack of notes to Noa.

“Weird hair?” Noa challenges. She gives Kuroo a critical look and runs her fingers through his messy spikes before taking the papers. Now that Kuroo’s upright Bokuto notices they are the exact same height.

“This is just natural bedhead. Nothing weird about it.” He smirks. “I’m pretty sure Masuko thinks his look is actually cool.”

“Ugh.” Noa groans. “You’re probably right.”

“Of course I’m right. The only guy I know who can actually pull off a crazy hairstyle like that is Bo here.” Kuroo sends a wink Bokuto’s way and he feels himself start an embarrassing blush up his neck at the compliment. “I’m sorry to ditch you on a Friday dude, but Noa invited me to go out with some of the other chemistry majors.” Kuroo gives him a sympathetic frown. “I hope you don’t mind?”

“Nah!” Bokuto exclaims way too loudly. “Dude, it’s cool. I’ll just…” He pauses to look around at the mess of movies and video games on the floor, all of which he’d rather watch with Kuroo. “… do some homework or something.”

Kuroo’s already zipped up his backpack again and is herding Noa toward the door. “No homework on Fridays remember?” He points a finger sternly at him.

“Right!” Bokuto gives him a salute.

“Ok, let’s go Tetsurou.” Noa pulls at his arm and Kuroo nods at him before shutting the door behind them.

Bokuto stands in the now incredibly empty dorm and ponders why his chest feels so tight.

 

Finally realizing why his leg is feeling buzzy and numb, Kuroo pulls the cellphone out of the pocket and stops the incessant vibrating.

“Hey, Kenma!” He can’t keep the grin from overtaking his face.

“Kuroo. How are you?”

“Great! How are you? What’s up?”

“Nothing.” A long pause, then. “I just missed you.”

Kuroo can almost palpably hear his shoulders shrug through the phone. “Yeah, me too.”

He glances around the library as he says it, hoping none of the other students can hear him over their headphones. Seems only a few aren’t plugged in somehow. Feeling self-conscious, he starts gathering up his books and cleaning up his desk.

“So, what are you up to today?”

“Hmm… had school. Then practice. Been reading a textbook.”

“Same. But I can’t read that thing anymore. Thanks for calling. You’re telepathic!”

Kenma makes a funny little noise of agreement.

“How was practice? How’s the team?” He rushes down the library stairs, book bag banging against his thighs.

“It’s fine I guess. Not the same without you and Yaku and Kai, though.”

“Yeah? How are the first years?”

“They’re learning. Tora’s a good teacher.”

Kuroo smiles. “Yeah.”

“Lev’s been telling everyone you have a girlfriend.”

“What?” Kuroo stops short, nearly causing the kid who was walking behind him to crash into his back. He apologizes quickly before returning to Kenma’s voice.

“I guess he saw a picture of you online. You were with some girl. So he brags about you to the first years now.”

“Lev…” he grits out, racking his brain. The only girl he’s hung out with lately is easy to place. “Was it that picture of me and Noa at the Chem mixer?”

“Noa?” He quickly pushes through the heavy library doors and makes his way through campus.

“She’s not my girlfriend. Kindly tell Lev to stop spreading rumors.”

“Who is she?” Kenma’s voice is flat, but Kuroo knows him well enough to detect a note of curiosity.

“Just another Chemistry major. She’s been using me to get close to her crush on the basketball team.”

“Oh.” The curiosity is completely removed from his voice now. “You know someone on the basketball team?”

“Kinda. I met him through Bokuto.”

“How _is_ Bokuto?”

“Good. I think.”

Actually, his roommate has been strangely absent lately now that he thinks about it. Of course their class schedules never really matched up that well, but it seems like recently he hasn’t seen him for more than five minutes put together for the past few days.

“He’s been pretty busy lately.”

“Hmm…” Kenma’s voice is distant. “Akaashi said something about him having a hard time too.”

“A hard time?” Bokuto seemed fine the last time they talked. Just the usual jokes and banter.

“Probably just adjusting to all the schoolwork on top of keeping his scholarship.” Kenma muses.

“He hasn’t said anything to me.”

“Maybe you should ask him.”

“Yeah.” Kuroo’s reached the staircase to their apartment and makes use of his long legs by taking them two at a time. “Maybe I’ll take him out tonight. Cheer him up.”

Kenma yawns. “Okay. I guess I’ll start reading this textbook again. Thanks for helping me procrastinate.”

Kuroo chuckles. “Yeah, anytime.”

“Bye.”

“See you!”

 

Bokuto looks up from his melting bowl of ice cream as the door to the dorm rattles. He rolls off the couch and approaches to help whoever it is come in. Kuroo beats him to it with his key and pushes the door closed behind him with one foot.

“Hey Bo, what’s up?”

Bokuto can feel his eyebrows rise.

“What’re you doing here? Isn’t it library time?” Unfortunately, he chooses to say this with a mouthful of cold ice cream so the words come out a bit slurred, accompanied by a spray of cream.

Luckily, Kuroo just laughs, making a show of wiping his shirt off. “Cute.”

Bokuto grimaces apologetically and gestures to the open carton in the kitchen. “Want some?”

“Sure.” Kuroo drops his bag and starts gathering the needed ice cream supplies. “I was studying, but then Kenma called.”

“Oh. How’s he doing?” Bokuto hopes his voice sounds relatively normal. Like he was just enjoying some ice cream alone like a totally well-adjusted person. Not the sad, broken-hearted, and sexually-confused mess he is.

“Good. Just procrastinating on his homework as usual.” Bokuto watches as he finishes scooping ice cream into the bowl and his tongue licks the spoon slowly. The cold makes it look even pinker than normal. “You got the good kind.” He remarks about the ice cream.

“Only the best.” Bokuto does a half-hearted eyebrow wiggle.

“Yeah, he’s good. Told me about the team.” Suddenly Kuroo lets out a harsh bark of laughter. “You know what he told me?”

Bokuto shakes his head, puzzled.

“Apparently, Lev thought I was dating Noa. You remember… Anyway, he’s been telling everyone I have a girlfriend now.”

Bokuto blinks. “You’re not?” Setting his empty bowl aside, he leans up closer to the counter. “I mean, you’re not dating her?”

“Oh man!” Kuroo laughs again, his long face lifting up toward the ceiling briefly. “Did you think we were too? Why can’t boys and girls be just friends anymore?” Humming with amusement he digs into his now full bowl of ice cream.

“You both called each other by your first names.” Bokuto feels lighter, which is ironic since he’s probably eaten half the carton of ice cream. “I thought that was kind of weird.”

“Oh, she’s just like Kenma that way.” He takes a bite of ice cream and talks around it, “Can’t be bothered with honorifics and all that.”

“Ah,” Bokuto smiles wider and watches Kuroo eat. He licks the spoon off after every mouthful which is cute. Everything about him is cute. The way his hair falls against the side of his face, the way his long nose scrunches up at the tip when he smiles, the way his gangly arms tend to wind themselves around his torso when he’s just standing around.

Bokuto’s heart is thumping. It’s actually kind of painful. The intense feeling of relief he’s experiencing seems to be making him lightheaded as well. Suddenly remembering to breathe, he leans further against the counter and lets out a gasping laugh.

Kuroo gives him a raised eyebrow over another spoonful.

“Sorry,” Bokuto wheezes. “Just remembered something funny.”

“Hey, do you want to go do something tonight?” Kuroo asks.

“Hell yes! What should we do?”

 

Like most of their nights out, they end up doing some pretty childish stuff. Starting off with noodles and eggrolls for dinner at an outdoor café and then a hilarious hour spent at the local thrift shop because Bokuto wanted to get some new pants. And now since it’s midnight and not many places are still open, they’ve ended up at a playground in one of the many city parks. Kuroo collapses onto a rickety swing and starts pumping his legs. Bokuto comes to join him but cries out once he sits down.

“Dude! I think my butt’s too big to fit into this swing.”

“Don’t say that. Your butt is perfect just the way it is.” Swishing past, Kuroo catches a confused expression on Bokuto’s face and though it’s hard to tell in the dark, it looks like his cheeks are a bit colored.  “It’s pure perfection.”

Finally, Bokuto wakes up and starts firing back like normal. “Don’t get me started. You are a specimen of splendid stems.”

“Stems?” Kuroo heaves with breathless laughter making the chains on the swing twist this way and that.

After he’s finally calmed down, they both creak back and forth together, feet planted in the swing ruts.

“So,” Bokuto’s voice breaks the silence. “Do you think you’ll ever ask Noa out?”

Kuroo blinks and looks up, searching his friend’s face. “Dude.”

“What?”

“She’s trying to get with that giant with too-much-hair gel on the basketball team.”

“Huh?” Bokuto’s face has scrunched into pure, twisted confusion.

“Masuko. That doofus you introduced me to.”

“Oh.” He purses his lips. “She likes _him_?”

Kuroo shrugs. “I guess. I’ve been giving her some friendly romantic advice, also, she made me introduce her to him even though I barely know the guy.”

“He’s such an idiot.”

“Yeah.” Kuroo bites his lip. “I probably won’t have time to date anyone for a while. They always tell you university is overwhelming, but who knew it could be this stressful?”

Bokuto groans in agreement. “You’re so right. It will be a miracle if we make it through this semester alive.”

 

                Finals were brutal. Along with too many tests and essays, Bokuto had to do one group project and an oral presentation. Luckily, his professor liked him so his stumbling speech wasn’t graded too harshly. With everything over, today already seems like it’s going to be awesome. Kuroo should be done with everything now as well.

The thought makes his so happy Bokuto rolls over and slips off his bed. Mornings are magical, and since the semester is over Kuroo needs to share this glorious morning with him. Maybe he could convince him to take a nap later to compensate for waking him up.

When he comes into Kuroo’s room, Bokuto is surprised to see his roommate already up, slumped against the wall, covers scrunched up to his chin and phone in hand. Bokuto has been awake for a while now, just lying in his own bed, but hadn’t heard anything to indicate Kuroo was awake as well.

“Hey.” Bokuto tries to announce his presence somewhat quietly.

Kuroo looks up from the phone he has been gazing at. “Hey, dude.”

“What are you doing up?”

Kuroo grimaces and passes a hand over his forehead. “My head is pounding. I think I’m coming down with something.”

On instinct, Bokuto walks in quickly and leans over the mattress to press his own hand to Kuroo’s head. The skin feels dewy and hot. Bokuto flips his fingers over and gently pushes the backs of his knuckles to Kuroo’s temple. He’s burning up.

“Do you have chills?”

Kuroo’s eyes blink hazily up at him. “Yeah. I feel terrible.”

“You feel like you have a fever. Your head’s really hot.”

“Well,” Kuroo gives him a pouty, childish frown. “Your whole body’s really hot.”

“What?”

Kuroo snorts. “I don’t know, man.”

Bokuto finally drops his hand and leans back “Want some anti-fever pills? I think I still have some. And I’ll get you a cold cloth for your head.”

Kuroo nods, bobble-head like, still propped up on the wall behind him.

After shuffling around in the bathroom and kitchen, Bokuto returns to Kuroo’s bed with a damp cloth, glass of water, and small bottle of pills. It looks like Kuroo hasn’t moved. His eyes flutter open when he hears Bokuto approach, though.

“Thanks, man.”

Bokuto stands awkwardly, water from the cloth dripping slowly down his forearm as Kuroo takes the medicine and gulps it down.

His face is pale and the dark circles under his eyes look worryingly deep. He gasps after drinking more of the water and wets his lips.

“I got a fever after high school exams too.” He says, smacking his lips a little.

Bokuto nods, exchanging the nearly-empty glass for the cloth which Kuroo immediately uses to cover his eyes.

“You study too much, dude.” He swirls the water at the bottom of the glass. “I’ll get you some more water. But then you should probably try to sleep.” 

Kuroo just nods, eyes still shrouded by the cloth.

 

                Kuroo ends up sleeping the whole morning. Bokuto goes on a jog and tackles the ominous pile of laundry that’s been growing in his room since finals began. He also decides to cook some soup once afternoon rolls around. Clouds have been gathering for most of the day and now electricity hangs heavy in the air. All he wants to do is curl up in their apartment while the storm starts. Sure enough, once he’s done up-ending soup cans into the pot, raindrops start thunking heavily onto the thin roof. The soup is almost completely warmed when he hears a soft sigh behind him.

Kuroo’s emerged from the bedroom, his hair sticking in every direction. The usually limp half that covers his eye is all kinked and ruffled. He’s holding an old quilt around his shoulders with one hand.

“Rain woke me up.” He says dryly, taking a seat at their dorm-provided table.

“Feel any better?” Bokuto asks, “Do you want some soup?”

Kuroo’s eyes squint in self-assessment. “Maybe.” He concedes.

Bokuto pours him a small bowl and dumps the rest in a larger one for himself. “Do you feel nauseous?”

Kuroo takes the bowl and considers it. “Not really. But I don’t really feel hungry?” He ends the statement like a question.

Bokuto hums, having already started slurping his meal.

“I’m going to get some headache medicine.” Kuroo clutches at the quilt and shuffles to the bathroom. His portion of soup continues to cool on the countertop while he’s away, tendrils of steam rising into the air.

“What are you doing tonight?” he asks, sitting down in front of the soup again.

Bokuto shrugs. “Nothing. I figured we’d be celebrating the end of finals.”

Kuroo’s face falls. “Sorry.”

Bokuto rushes to interrupt the apology. “We can still celebrate! We never did finish all those movies we wanted to see.”

“No way, man.” Kuroo takes a hesitant sip of soup. “You should go out. Isn’t there a team party tonight?”

“I want to hang out with you.”

“No, you don’t. I’m sick anyway. You might catch it.”

Bokuto rolls his eyes. “I’m not catching your stress fever. That’s all yours buddy.”

Kuroo shakes his head and blows on his bowl.

 

                After lunch, Bokuto and Kuroo end up sprawled all over the couch together watching one of the very dumbest action films they procrastinated actually turning on. Kuroo’s as horizontal as he can get, taking up most of the space with long legs draped over Bokuto’s lap. He’s using his quilt to pillow his head against the armrest while borrowing under another blanket Bokuto found.

He told Bokuto he’s not chilled anymore but is still bundled pretty heavily. Luckily, his roommate hasn’t commented yet. He doesn’t seem to mind the legs on his lap either, though he does dump them off every now and then to reach the remote on the beat-up coffee table.

The electric atmosphere of a storm gathering has made way for slamming raindrops thick and fast against the windows and roof. By now it’s just a steady drum in the background, broken up by cracks of a loud thunder and flashes of lightening.

“Yeah,” Bokuto’s voice interrupts the lead actor’s complete rehearsed-looking stealth scene. “I don’t think I’ll be going to that party tonight. I’ll look like a drowned rat.”

Kuroo snickers and moves to sit up. “It’ll probably let up by then. And you can just take an umbrella.”

“Maybe.”

“It will. Watch.” Kuroo swings his legs around the other way and finds himself pressed closer to Bokuto than he’d meant to be. Bokuto only raises an eyebrow and pats his thigh in invitation.

“You wanna lie down?”

“You don’t mind?” Kuroo’s ears are ringing slightly. Probably congestion from the fever.

Bokuto shakes his head and drags the quilt off the armrest so he can spread it over his legs. Kuroo settles down atop Bokuto and watches another gratuitous explosion from onscreen. Another few moments of mindless action and Kuroo is acutely aware of Bokuto’s warm and sturdy thighs beneath his head. So when gentle fingers push into his hair, he nearly jumps out of his skin.

“Do you still have a headache?”

“Nah. The medicine worked.”

It worked alright. Kuroo’s head feels light and fuzzy. Bokuto’s scraping is only working to make it more so. His eyes close after a moment and he drops any pretense of paying attention to the film.

“Does this feel good?” Bokuto sounds like he’s holding back a laugh.

Kuroo must look ridiculous, curled on his lap, practically purring from getting his head scratched, cheeks probably pink with fever.

“Mmm… Gonna hafta stop. My brain’s going numb.”

Bokuto chuckles and yanks on a clump of hair instead. “You’re cute.”

Kuroo groans and reaches his arms up, winding them around Bokuto’s middle and squishing his face against his side. “You’re cute.” He counters. They relax back into their original position, but this time, Kuroo keeps a hand on the thigh cushioning his head.

“Kuroo?”

“Mmm…?”

“Nothing.”

 

                Kuroo wakes with a start. His head is still across his roommate’s legs and the TV in front of them dark and buzzing, the movie long since over. The rainclouds have made it dark in the small apartment and he can make out some quiet tapping on the windows. Bokuto’s head is tilted back on the couch and he lets out a sudden, loud snore. It’s probably what woke him up in the first place. Kuroo sits up and wipes his eyes. The storm has petered out a bit, just like he predicted, but it’s a lot later than he expected. Bokuto’s definitely missed the start of the party.

Kuroo stands and stretches, causing the blankets fall off both of them. Bokuto doesn’t really look like he was planning on going anywhere. His normally spiked hair is a disheveled disaster and he’s still lounging in his rattiest sweatpants. His exuberant and expressive face is relaxed with sleep now, and it makes him look soft and vulnerable. He can’t be comfortable in that position, though.

As gently as he can, Kuroo shakes a muscular shoulder.

“Bo. Bokuto.”

He groans and blinks his eyes open. Once focused on Kuroo he smiles.

“I think I’m gonna head to bed early. Okay, man?”

“Hmm…” Bokuto leans back and stretches, cat-like against the couch. “You feel any better?”

“Yeah. Thanks for hanging out and making me soup and stuff.” Kuroo winks. “Definitely prime boyfriend material.”

A proud grin surfaces on Bokuto’s face. He reaches up and grabs Kuroo’s waist, pulling him forward so his knees hit the couch and his chest crushes into Bokuto’s nose.

“Bo.” Kuroo pushes his hand against the couch behind his head as he protests.

“Don’t go to bed. You should hang out with me more.”

“Dude, we’re both exhausted from finals week. Plus, I need to sleep this fever away.”

Bokuto’s voice is a muffled whine against his T-shirt. “I missed you last week.”

Kuroo sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. Apparently, it’s one of his needy nights. “I was right here.”

“But you were studying. We never got to hang out. And we just fell asleep instead of making fun of that movie.”

“I really need to sleep. I guess you can come talk to me if you want.”

His head perks up off his chest and he nods. Bokuto trails after him as they brush their teeth and get ready for bed at the sadly early hour of 9:30.

“So, tell me about your exams,” Kuroo says, placing a fresh washcloth over his head and making himself comfortable in bed. Bokuto hesitates only for a moment before shuffling onto the mattress and sitting up near his legs.

“They were alright, I guess. At least, I don’t think I completely failed anything.” Bokuto continues to ramble on. Kuroo listens and leans back into his pillow, letting the chilled washcloth cool his fevered forehead. Rain patters sporadically on the roof. The air inside their apartment has cooled and smells like the rain outside slightly.

“Kuroo?” Bokuto’s talking halts suddenly. “Should I leave so you can sleep?”

Kuroo twitches, reaching out a hand to pat the comforter beside him until he lands on his friend’s.  He squeezes Bokuto’s fingers and slides his hand into a firmer grip.

“No. I said we should talk, so we should. Sorry, I was drifting off. What do you want to talk about?”

It feels weird being blind like this, only really sensing and hearing where Bokuto is beside him. Holding his hand makes things a little more real.

“Um…” Bokuto starts slowly. “Can I ask you something?”

“Ask away.”

He hears the bed creak with sudden shuffling. “Are you attracted most to boys or girls, or both?”

“Never thought about it that much,” Kuroo confesses. A bead of water trickles down his temple from the washcloth. “I mean, there were a few girls I thought were really pretty. But it was always from a distance. Mostly just aesthetically I guess.” He absently swipes a thumb over Bokuto’s as he talks. “I might like guys more. They’re just so…” Kuroo sighs, trying to think of words to help him. “So pretty. What about you?” He deflects quickly, hoping his lame answer will suffice.

“Both,” Bokuto answers quickly. “There’s a lot to like about both.”

“That’s true.” Kuroo shifts to lay his shoulders more firmly against the bed. “Do you have a type?” he asks it grinning.

“For guys or girls?”

“Both. You choose.”

“Well,” Bokuto’s hand feels a bit clammy and sweaty in his. “I really like tall guys.”

“Mmm…”

“Guys and girls.” He amends.

“Do you like it when you’re the shorter one?”

Bokuto considers the question for a moment. “No. It doesn’t matter. I just like when they are tall generally. And dark hair. Dark hair is pretty.”

“Yeah.” Kuroo agrees.

“Do you have a type?”

“Not really. I think I get more attracted to people the more I know them. Like, I’m attracted to personality I guess.”

“That makes sense.”

“Thinking of someone in particular?” Kuroo asks. “You going to ask someone out?”

Bokuto squeezes his hand and shifts to lay down further into the mattress. “Maybe. If I can get up the courage.”

“Hmm…”

They lay in comfortable silence for a few beats. After Bokuto shifts slightly, Kuroo’s intensely aware that they are together in his bed, holding hands. The gay thoughts are running full throttle and so he tries to interrupt them.

“Um… Are you falling asleep? In my bed? While we hold hands?”

“Shhh…” Bokuto finally releases him to pat his arm. “Don’t think about it too much.”

Kuroo’s definitely overthinking it. He wants to be closer or maybe further away. Maybe bring up the past topic of conversations and admit the weirdness he’s been feeling since they moved in together. Instead of doing anything, he stays flat on his back, eyes covered, paralyzed by his own thoughts until he hears Bokuto’s breathing slow as he falls asleep. 

 

Kuroo rolls over the next morning to discover a thick and immovable arm next to him. His brain helpfully dumps him back at high school training camp, the only possible place he’d end up sleeping too near a muscular arm. Fitfully, he pushes at it until finally slumping atop it, barely opening his eyes.

“Kai. Move.” He groans face-first into the bed and flicks at the arm beneath his chest again. “Kai.”

Finally, it shifts and Kuroo sinks down into the mattress with a relieved sigh.

“Kai?” The voice above him is tight with unreleased laughter. “Did the two of you… share a bed often?”

Kuroo pries his eyes open and blinks over to where Bokuto is sitting up slowly and shaking with silent giggles, blankets sagging down around his waist.

“Ugh…” Kuroo lets his moan tingle at the back of his throat for a moment and rolls to lay on his side facing Bokuto. “I thought I was back at a training camp.”

Bokuto just snorts into his hand.

“We usually slept next to each other.”

“Riiight.”

Kuroo just rolls his eyes before closing them again. “How are you making fun of us anyway? You literally fell asleep in the same bed as me, talking about crushes.”

“That’s ‘cause the idea of you and Kai as a couple is absurd, while we were obviously meant to be together.”

Kuroo cracks an eye open. “What are you talking about? Kai’s a catch. We’d make a cute couple.”

“Yeah, but you’d look so much better with me.” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh? So, are we a couple now?”

Bokuto leans down on one elbow, smirking at him. “Sure. If you want to be.”

Kuroo lifts his arm off his face and raises his eyebrows. “That’s right. I’m probably just your type. Tall, dark, handsome.”

Bokuto grins. “mmmhmmm…”

Kuroo shakes his head and smiles up at him lazily.

Bokuto’s got one his bottom lip between his teeth and his hair is all flattened from sleeping on it. He’s still slightly lifted above Kuroo on one elbow and is staring down at him like he’s the best thing he’s ever seen. It’s a little unnerving, a lot flattering, and damn, Bokuto looks good at this angle. Kuroo keeps flicking his eyes to the ceiling light to distract himself. He _cannot_ be having gay thoughts about his best friend and roommate. Even if they did manage to wake up in the same bed together.

Bokuto leans over closer to his face, still smiling softly with his lip now unhooked from his teeth. Kuroo’s not sure what’s happening, but when their noses nearly touch he subconsciously prepares for a kiss. So when Bokuto just passes over his face and just grabs his phone off the side table, Kuroo can’t even stop the blush from overtaking his face and neck. He drags his pillow down over his head to hide his embarrassment while Bokuto unlocks his phone and leans back.

Being this close to Bokuto is doing bad things to him. He can’t stop the flood of gay thoughts slowly submerging his mind. Quickly, he rolls off the bed and stands up. Trying to escape proves to a mistake, though. He’s not quite back to one hundred percent after sweating through his fever yesterday, and once vertical, the blood drains from his head and his vision presses to a thick black. Carefully, he finds a wall and sinks into a squat, letting his head fall to his chest.

“Kuroo?” He can head Bokuto’s voice as if from a very great distance. “You okay?”

Gradually, his vision materializes again with grainy little spots on the periphery. He nods, gulping a bit. “Yeah. Just a head rush.”

“There’s some water for you here.”

“Okay.”

With deliberation, he makes his way to standing and turns to grab the glass off the table to drain it quickly.

“Thanks for looking out for me.”  Bokuto nods distractedly, typing away on his phone. “But you know, next time we sleep together, you should probably at least take me on a date first.”

Bokuto looks up and wags his eyebrow suggestively. “You free tomorrow night?”

Kuroo suddenly can’t take it anymore. It feels like they’ve both been playing chicken with this concept for the past month. Maybe even the whole semester.

“Don’t do that to me, dude.” He says in defeat.

“Do what?”

He shrugs, feeling stupider by the moment. “I don’t know. Joke-ask me out.”

Bokuto blinks. He’s staring at Kuroo like he’s never seen him before. “What if…” he bites his lip, eyes darting to the corner of the room. “I’m not really joking?”

Kuroo’s gaping now. It takes him a little too long to find his voice again, and by the time he does, Bokuto looks downright panicked.

“So, are you asking me out for real?”

“Yes?”

They both stare at each other. Kuroo can feel the confusion in his expression.

“We both liked each other this entire time?” he finally explodes.

Bokuto shrugs. “I guess we were both pretty slow on the uptake there.”

“How are we _this_ dumb?”

That cracks Bokuto up and he takes a moment to cackle into his hands. “I could’ve been kissing you all yesterday.”

“Um, no,” Kuroo argues. “I had a fever.”

“I would’ve kissed you anyway.”

Is this real life? Kuroo’s head is spinning. Luckily, not with a head rush this time. Are they really going to go out? Is he going to go on a date with his best friend and roommate? Are they really discussion hypothetical kissing that would’ve happened yesterday?

Before he can overthink himself into oblivion, Bokuto kneels on the bed and shuffles over, beckoning him to draw near. Kuroo moves zombie-like next to the mattress. Arms wrap around his waist and Bokuto pulls him forward. He holds him close, smiling broadly.

“Kuroo, will you be my boyfriend? For real?”

Mouth dry, all he can do is nod.


	2. Waiting Period

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Kuroo take some time apart to process their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who gave this story a little love! I so appreciate it and hope this next part isn't too disappointing.

Oddly, their first kiss ends up being a hasty farewell peck on the lips. Kuroo has been building it up so much in his head that he hardly notices when it actually happens. The first two days of official dating and they’ve both been so careful around each other, hyper-aware of touch. Bokuto seems hesitant to initiate much more than the occasional hug and Kuroo’s not sure where their boundaries are. He can’t help imagining their first kiss in anticipation. Would it be in the dorm? Outside? At night? In the morning? 

In the end, it’s such a non-event Kuroo almost misses it. They are rushing through a crowded train station for the end of semester weekend. Everyone seems to be using it to escape campus and spend time with their families. Kuroo’s bag crashes into the backs of his legs as he weaves through the terminals. Once they turn to separate, Bokuto catches him by the collar and kisses him quickly, but firmly. Kuroo squeezes his boyfriend in a one-armed hug and they leave through their own gates. 

It suddenly hits him like a volleyball to the face once he’s in his mom’s car, winding through familiar Tokyo streets. They just had their first kiss. And like most of their relationship so far, it was natural and quick and happened before he had time to process it. He can’t even say what it felt like if Bokuto’s lips were warm or cold or if they were soft or chapped. Just that it had been familiar and easy. Before he can overthink it too much, his mom interrupts his thoughts. 

“You look flushed. You okay?” 

“Yeah.” Kuroo gulps. He’s going to have to tell her sometime during his stay that he’s dating Bokuto, but he’s not ready right now. “I got a fever after finals.” 

His mom just rolls her eyes and sighs. “You overworked yourself again? You have to take breaks when you study.” 

“I know. I know.” 

“How’d the tests go?” 

“Good” He grins. “Making myself sick might have been worth it. I think I got really good marks.” 

Keeping her eyes on the road, she just shakes her head. “I’m proud of you. Just try to take care of yourself next semester.” 

Just thinking about next semester, Kuroo realizes he’ll have a boyfriend as well as all new classes. The thought makes him smile goofily into his shoulder. Something tells him college is going to be a lot more enjoyable this time.  

The house still feels like home. Kuroo wonders if it will ever stop feeling that way. If the worn and cluttered living room will someday seem alien, or if he’ll always consider his mom’s house a starting base. Right now, it just feels good to be in a totally comfortable and safe place. He belongs here; just like that old moth-eaten afghan will always belong on the back of the armchair, or like that old picture of him and Kenma on their first day of fifth and fourth grade propped up on the bookshelf, the kickstand for it long since broken off. 

A lone hand snakes up from between the mustard-yellow yarn of the blanket he’s been staring at and the couch and waves at him. Kuroo blinks at it. 

“Hey, mom.” 

The rest of his mother appears from where she’s silently crept behind the couch. Long, tangled hair tucked behind her ears and stained apron covering most of her colorful print shirt. 

“You heard me coming?” 

“Just sensed you.” 

He’s not sure when they started getting in the habit of trying to sneak up on each other. It rarely works. Both he and his mom are too attuned to each other and the small, cramped house doesn’t allow for much secrecy. Maybe that’s what makes it all the more gratifying when one of them does jump. 

Untangling her arm from the afghan, his mom brings both hands up to thread long, cold fingers through his hair. Probably making it look even more disastrous than usual. 

“I’m making your favorite meal.” She singsongs softly, combing through his fuzzy bedhead. 

Kuroo lets his eyes close, losing himself in the sensation of the tingles shooting up his scalp. “You don’t have to do that.” 

“Mmmm…” She drags her nails along the top of his head and through to the tips of his hair before moving to knead at his shoulders. “But my baby’s home and I get to take care of him again.” 

Kuroo cringes. “Mooom.” He complains, still relaxing into the freezing hands on his shoulders. 

She giggles and presses her knuckles to the back of his neck, the cold touch making him flinch. “You probably haven’t had a real meal in a while, right? Do you remember to eat?” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Kuroo rolls onto his stomach so he can look up at his mom’s face. “We eat every day.” 

“Healthy things?” Her left eyebrow arches. 

“Sometimes.” Kuroo hedges. 

That just makes her laugh. “Want to invite Kenma-kun over for dinner? I’m making lots.” 

“Yeah, okay.” 

She ruffles his hair one last time before returning to the kitchen. Kuroo lies on the couch for a minute more, feeling lethargic and heavy. Although his fever broke after just one day, he still feels slightly off-balance and has an ache deep in his body. Gathering some internal momentum, he heaves himself up and slides a hand along the coffee table to grab his phone. He texts Kenma a quick invite on his way to the kitchen. 

“Tetsu, hand me that will you?” Without looking up, he grabs the spice jar his mother is indicating to and sets it near her elbow while she cooks over a frying pan. “You get a hold of him?” 

“Just texted.” Kuroo slips the phone into his back pocket and leans over his mom’s back. “Need any help?” 

“Nah. You should just go relax or do something fun. It’s your first day home.” 

“Mom.” Kuroo tries to put a bit of a warning into his tone. “Are you making a big deal out of this?” 

“What? No. No. Of course not. It’s just a totally normal day.” 

“Good.” He rolls his eyes and walks away to open the fridge contemplatively. “Do we have any juice?” 

“It’s in the door.” 

Kuroo pulls out the bottle and sets about pouring a glass while watching his mom cook. As usual, her hair is almost as much of a mess as his own. She has the front pulled back haphazardly into a clip that is currently slipping through the strands and tangles at the back of her head. She’s got on the gray slacks she wore to work but they are now paired with her painfully bright paisley sweater she loves to wear around the house and a pair of worn slippers. His mom is beautiful and he knows she cleans up good, but he definitely inherited her casual-mess look himself. He leans back against the table, legs crossed out in front of him. 

“Are you able to cook much in your dorm?” She asks, flipping the fish in the pan expertly. 

“Sometimes. It’s kind of a crappy stove. We mostly stick to the microwave.” 

“Does your roommate cook much?” 

Kuroo chuckles to himself, “Definitely not. He’s always at volleyball practice anyway, so he hardly ever eats at the dorm.” 

“You both get along and everything?” 

“Yeah.” This is the moment. He should tell her they’re dating. He’s going to tell her at some point during the break, but for some reason, he keeps stalling. He can usually tell his mom anything. Living together with just the two of them has taught him to rely on her as a partner as much as a parent. He’s pretty sure she won’t freak out or anything, but Kuroo’s just not sure. They’ve never really talked about him dating, girls or boys aside. And since her divorce, she hasn’t shown any interest in dating herself. Maybe she’ll feel betrayed by it or something. 

“What was his name again? It was so cute.” She turns slightly to grin at him. 

“Bokuto?” 

“No, no. His first name. I remember it was cute.” 

“Koutaro.” 

She smirks delightedly. “That’s it! Koutaro.” 

“Um, Mom? You like Bokuto, right?” 

“Yes, of course. He is so sweet. And always so polite.” She finishes dishing up the fish and turns off the stove. 

Kuroo’s phone buzzes on the table next to him, making him flinch. It’s just Kenma saying he’ll be over soon. He gulps and looks back at his mom. 

“Well, um. I wanted to tell you. Me and Bokuto. I mean, we both…” He can feel his hands trembling so he shoves them into his pockets and stands up straighter. “We’re dating. Each other.” 

His mom blinks blankly at him and Kuroo feels himself stiffen with fear.  

He’s caught her off-guard. She’s still not saying anything and it feels like his heart is clenching in his chest. 

“Mom?” His voice suddenly sounds croaky. “Did I freak you out?” 

She seems to shake herself quickly. “Of course not!” She reverts back to a smirk, “You can’t freak me out. Remember, you couldn’t even scare me when you hid on the stairs last time.” 

Kuroo can feel his hands still trembling deep in his pockets. She takes a step closer to him and smiles warmly.  

“I was just a little surprised, that’s all. You’ve never even talked about liking anyone before.” 

Kuroo gulps and nods, not really trusting himself to speak. 

“Tetsu?” Her eyebrows crease with worry. “Were you scared I’d be mad or something?” 

When he doesn’t say anything, she steps closer, caressing the side of his face for a moment before enfolding him in a loose hug. Both he and his mom aren’t really hugging types, so it’s a bit disorienting to have her arms around him. 

“I’m not upset Sweetheart.” He can feel the vibrations from the laugh in her chest. 

“Okay.” The two syllables sound tight and choked coming out of him. 

“This is really exciting! You are finally dating someone.” The hands on his back smooth up and down his shirt. “He makes you happy, right?” She whispers. 

He manages a nod, chin bumping her shoulder. 

“Then that’s all that matters.” She squeezes him gently. “I love you so much.” Pulling back, she looks him in the eyes and grins brightly. “You’re still the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” 

Kuroo ducks his face down into her neck for another hug and tries to ignore the stinging tears in his eyes. He’s not sure why he’s tearing up, but suddenly all he wants to do is cry. 

“Stop getting taller than me.” His mom complains after a few seconds. “It makes hugging you even more awkward.” 

Kuroo laughs wetly and pulls away sniffing to stifle his now running nose. “Sorry.” He’s crying for real now, not even trying to stop the thick tears from rolling down his cheeks. 

His mom clucks her tongue and keeps one arm around his middle, using the other hand to pat his cheek and wipe away some of the salty moisture. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” She’s soothing him like she would a five-year-old, but seeing as he’s exhibited all the symptoms of being a literal five-year-old in the past few hours, he can’t blame her. 

“Oh, here Baby.” She fishes for a tissue on the counter and hands it to him. He gratefully uses it to stop his nose while she tries to force a lighter mood. “This is exciting! No need to cry. You have a boyfriend. I’m so happy for you.” 

Kuroo coughs out a sob-laugh in agreement while she pats his chest. 

“So...” She winks and then moves away to pull out some ingredients from the fridge. “When did this all happen?” 

Kuroo tries and fails to blow his nose in some way that isn’t disgusting. “Just a few days ago.” 

“Did you ask him out, or did he ask you?” 

“I guess he asked me out.” he admits thickly. 

His mom’s eyes flash. “Oh? Was it romantic?” 

Kuroo considers this before answering. “Not especially.” He drops the tissue in the garbage, but his eyes are still leaking. He feels a sob threatening at the back of his throat again. 

“Do I need to help you find a new roommate for this semester, or can I trust the two of you, being on your own?” Her face is a mask of seriousness, but Kuroo can tell she’s holding back a grin. 

He frowns. “We’ll be good. We’re not in any rush.” At least, he thinks Bokuto feels the same. Quickly he tacks on, “But I can change dorms if it makes you feel better.” 

His mom contemplates the offer then shakes her head. “I trust you. You’re an adult now anyway. Just be safe.” It sounds like a pretty forced and rehearsed parenting mantra, but he appreciates it all the same. He quickly tries to think of a way to change the subject to something less mortifying, but instead takes another swallow of juice, trying to subdue the lump in his throat. _Why is he still crying?_  

“Kenma’s coming for dinner by the way.” His voice sounds tinny and thick. 

“Okay, good. Do you need to go cry some more first?” 

“Mom!” He feels at once both affronted and embarrassed. How does she know these things? 

“What?” She shrugs. “Everyone needs a good cry once in a while. I still have food to make, so you can just go do what you want for a few more minutes. I’ll call you when everything’s done.” 

Kuroo laughs weakly. “Okay. I’ll just continue weeping in a corner.” The sarcasm almost as thick as his voice. 

She pats him on the back. “Good. Take your time.” 

 

He’s not sure if it’s due to the sweeping relief of finally telling his mom, the cathartic sense of admitting some hard truths to himself, or just experiencing an overwhelming feeling of unconditional love from her, but Kuroo does end up crying up on his bed for a while. It’s not uncontrollable sobbing or anything, just a long stream of tears and snot. So it’s with a stuffed and sniffling nose, red eyes, dull headache, and hoarse voice that he greets Kenma at the door a few minutes later.  His friend squints at him warily. 

“Have you been crying?” 

“Hi, Kenma. Nice to see you too.” He opens the door wider and lets him pass through the threshold. Kenma just looks up at him expectantly, once inside. “Yeah, I was crying, but don’t worry about it. Everything’s fine.” 

“A-alright?” He fidgets uncomfortably. 

Kuroo takes a deep breath before blurting out, “It was a long semester and then my mom hugged me, okay?” 

Kenma holds up a hand as if to fend off his defensiveness. ”Okay. Okay.” 

Kuroo quickly strides ahead, hoping to put this all behind them quickly. “Come on. She’s making a big deal about me being home.” 

“Course she is.” He hears murmured from behind. 

Once they sit down to eat at the tiny kitchen table things get back to normal. The three of them fall into easy conversation about school, work, volleyball, and mutual friends, punctuated with long stretches of comfortable silence, typical of a Kuroo/Kozume dinner. Afterward, they watch a TV show and Kenma shows him a few of his new games. His mom has been trying out knitting for the first time and she keeps busy making what looks like a deflated mushroom on her lap. His phone buzzes on the side table. It’s a snapchat notification from Bokuto. 

Kuroo wants to open it. But he also doesn’t trust Bokuto-created content enough to open it in front of his mom or Kenma. He excuses himself and goes to the kitchen to fill his glass. There are a couple pictures in the snap, some he didn’t notice from earlier in the day. The first is Bokuto making an exaggerated pout with the words, “I miss you” typed over his forehead. The next is a photo of an extremely cluttered bathroom counter. Makeup is spread over the surface as well as a curling iron, hair dryer, face mask, and bottles of soap. The caption reads, “sharing with sister : (“. Suddenly Bokuto’s neat bathroom habits make a lot more sense. The last one is a picture of the sunset from what must be his backyard. All this one says is “Let’s go on a date”. 

Kuroo takes a picture of just his hand doing a thumbs up. His face is probably still too blotchy from crying to look normal right now. He finishes typing “Let’s do it” as he walks back into the living room. His mom is gone and just Kenma is left on the couch, his eyes downcast and focused on his phone’s screen. Kuroo collapses down next to him with a sigh. He keeps his own phone out while a commercial plays, but about halfway through checking for updates he feels Kenma’s eyes on him. 

“What?” 

“When were you going to tell me about Bokuto?” 

He blinks but doesn’t look up. “Now. I guess.” 

Smart-assing his childhood friend is always pretty pointless. “Kuroo.”  

“Sorry. It all just happened so fast and I didn’t really get time to process the whole ‘dating thing’ until a few days ago. Did my mom tell you?” 

“No. You did. Just now.” Kenma returns to his game for a moment.  

“Huh?” 

Kenma taps his phone furiously, at odds with his calm tone as he explains. “I got a snapchat from Bokuto a few days ago of your butt and the caption ‘boyfriend’s got a butt’. I can never tell if he’s joking, so I thought I’d confirm with you.”  

Kuroo gasps. “By attacking me in my own living room. I’m appalled.” He’s also appalled there was apparently a snap of his butt going around, but he’ll get Bokuto back for that later.  

Kenma exits the game and leans back to stretch, popping his shoulder against the back of the couch. “I kind of figured with the two of you rooming together, something like this might happen,” he grunts.  

“How’d you figure that?” He asks suspiciously.  

Kenma shrugs. “Akaashi mentioned Bokuto gets crushes pretty easily. And it was obvious he liked you a lot. I didn’t think you were exactly indifferent either.”  

Kuroo considers Kenma’s analysis. He and Bokuto did tend to play at flirting with each other a lot. Though most of it was sarcastic, maybe they did tend to blur the lines a bit.  

Kenma continues, stringing some hair behind one ear as he does. “I think you both balance each other out in a good way. Like, you’re more outgoing when he’s around. And you can keep him in line without having to be as strict as Akaashi. And, I don’t know, I figured if you’d experiment at all in college, it’d be with each other.”  

Kuroo realizes he’s just been staring, mouth slightly agape. He closes it quickly. “You’re scary.” 

“I’m just observant. You told me that back in middle school.” He reminds him.  

“Guess so.”  

Kenma tugs on his t-shirt. It’s got some unreadable Nekoma logo on the front. “I’m actually really glad.” He says softly. 

“Yeah?” Kuroo grins. 

“Yeah. I think the two of you are great together.”  

Kuroo scrunches his nose. “That’s so embarrassing. I can’t believe you said that.”  

“Oh, shut up.”  

“You shut up.” 

 

Living with his sister again for the first time in five years is all at once awesome, and intensely annoying. Majime Bokuto is a force of nature and time doesn’t seem to have mellowed her. One great thing about living in their childhood home together again is that all their old sibling competitions and rivalries have been reignited. Doing the dishes is suddenly an Olympic sport, weeding the front flower bed a test of balance and speed, and once boring morning jogs have been transformed into breakneck-paced sprints.  

“Can’t keep up Kou-chan?” Majime’s taunt is somewhat diminished by her own panting.  

“You wish.” Bokuto puts on a spurt of speed into his kicks as he thrusts past her to stumble over the unofficial finish line in front of their house.  

Majime lets out a roar of defeat and collapses onto the pathway leading to the front gate. “How’d you get so fast, huh?” She asks after catching her breath a bit.  

Bokuto pushes up from where he’s bent over his knees. “Been running with my roomie a lot. He’s fast. And he’s got long legs.”  

“It’s not fair.” She complains and reaches out a hand for him to help heave her up. They push through the gate and start stretching in their little patch of front yard. Majime does an exaggerated roll down to touch her toes as she strikes up a conversation. “Are you enjoying college? How’s volleyball?” 

Bokuto moves to a lunge and nods. “Yeah. It’s awesome. Sometimes it's almost too much volleyball, but I love it. The team’s really fun.”  

“That’s good. Fail any classes yet?” 

“No. Thank you very much. I did not.” He sticks his tongue out at her.  

She replies in kind. It’s not a very attractive look on an adult woman. But then, with her sweaty bangs plastered to the sides of her face and neck, messy pigtails, and too-colorful running shorts and shoes, she doesn’t exactly look her age.  

“You know I’m just looking out for you, bro.” 

“Yeah, right.” 

“So, you got any fans? Girlfriends? I want to brag about my little bro to all my coworkers.” She grins wickedly and Bokuto knows this can only result in his own embarrassment. Luckily, he doesn’t remember any of her coworkers so it probably doesn’t matter that much.  

Giving in, he rolls out of his stretch before admitting. “I have a boyfriend.”  

“Oh really?” Majime’s eyes brighten with interest.  

“My roommate. Do you know Kuroo?” 

“Don’t think I ever met him.”  

Bokuto feels his mouth twist up, unbidden. Just thinking about Kuroo makes him grin. “I bet you’d like him.”  

“Well, so far I know he runs fast and you like him. Sounds good enough to me.” She laughs. “Mom and dad don’t know, do they?” 

Bokuto shakes his head. Then, bit by bit, the pieces come together. He gasps. “No! Nechan! Don’t tell them, please. They’ll make me move out.” 

“Yeah they will.” She giggles. “Are you guys just going to be doing The Deed every night on those rickety dorm beds?” 

“Don’t!” he quickly racks his brains for some kind of blackmail. “I’ll tell them about the socks and the telephone pole.” 

A stricken look comes over his older sister’s face. “You wouldn’t.” 

“I won’t. As long as you don’t say anything about Kuroo.” 

“Fine.” She glowers at him. “When did you get to be such a black-hearted bastard?”  

He blows a sarcastic kiss from his hand. “I only learned from the best.” 

After a scandalized gasp and small catfight, their mom comes out to yell at them. Reluctantly, they declare a truce.  

“You’re going to have to tell them eventually, you know.” He hears his sister mutter as they step inside. 

Bokuto gulps and nods, eyes on the floor of their entryway. “I know.”  

Together, they shed themselves of their sweaty shoes and head up to their shared bathroom to fight over the first shower. 

“So, are you two more than bang-buddies?” His sister continues the conversation as if they’ve never been interrupted. 

“What?” Bokuto can hear the screeching in his own voice.  

“I mean. Are you actually boyfriends? I figured if it’s your roommate you’d just be like, friends with benefits or something.”  

“No way. I mean. I think we are always going to be friends first, but...” Bokuto considers this new train of thought. What does Kuroo consider their relationship? How should he act next time they see each other? The same? Should he be more lovey-dovey? Bokuto had a few “girlfriends” throughout elementary and middle school. But those always just seemed to amount to a lot of handwritten notes, blushing confessions, classroom gossip, and on one rare occasion, holding hands. Panicking, he realizes he has no real dating experience. Does Kuroo? Is he expecting a bouquet of roses or a romantic candlelit dinner?  

“Hello?” Majime waves a hand in front of his face on her way to the laundry hamper. 

“I’m dating Kuroo Tetsurou?” he asks her in a daze. 

“Bro.” She turns to face him and squishes both his cheeks between her palms. “You tell me.”  

Bokuto tries very hard not to freak out. “Yeah. I’m dating him.” The words come out thick and muffled through his puckered lips. “What do I do?” 

Majime releases him looking bemused. “How should I know? Be extra nice to him, go on dates, kiss him sometimes.”  

Bokuto is never going to tell her he’s hanging onto her every word. He’s always been extra nice to Kuroo. But now does that mean he needs to like, open doors for him or something? What would he want to do for a date? Majime’s just being sarcastic as usual, but he’s floundering here. “I need to take him out. Nechan, help! What should we do?” 

“Do whatever you both love to do, Kou-chan. You’re overthinking it.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I mean. He actually agreed to go out with you, so obviously he’s not going to be expecting much.”  

“Shut up.”  

She laughs. 

“So, I’m just supposed to do what we usually do? But be extra nice and hold his hand or something?”  

“Sure.” Majime looks smugly at him. “You really like this guy, huh?” 

“Yeah.”  

His sister grins and pushes forward to plant a kiss on his forehead.  

“What was that for?” 

“I’m happy for you.” She winks. “You should bring him around sometime.” 

“I’m sure he wouldn’t want to meet you.” he says. 

“You little punk!” 

 

Kuroo agreed to meet him here at the train station so they could ride back to school together. The semester break went by quickly. Technically, it was only a weekend and a day, but it feels like he hasn’t seen Kuroo in weeks. Bokuto feels fidgety and nervous. He probably tried on five different shirts before finally deciding on a favorite pink graphic tee and tan jeans. He didn’t even have time to do his hair, just stuffed it into a baseball hat after packing up all his bags. He’s not even sure why he’s insecure about his appearance. Kuroo’s seen him in worse. Especially considering they spend most their time together stuck in smelly gymnasiums wearing practice uniforms. 

The people milling around the station don’t pay him much mind. Most avoid eye contact anyway, carrying their briefcases and overnight bags with the weary air of someone going into battle. Bokuto thinks he recognizes a few of them as fellow university students. None of them look a bit like the person he’s waiting for, though.  

He sets down his bag with a sigh. Hopefully, they can catch the first train out of here. It should be here any minute. He watches distractedly as the businessman under the train timetables battles with a vending machine refusing to accept his money. When he looks up again to scan the steadily growing crowd, most have shifted toward the gates, anticipating the incoming train. Then, from the entrance he makes out a familiar spiky bedhead running up the stairs.   

“Kuroo!” 

He waves an arm to make himself more visible then watches as Kuroo makes his way toward him. His friend is smiling, and just the sight of it has the tight nervousness lifting from off his chest. Breaking into a broad smile himself, Bokuto pushes off the wall to crush Kuroo into a clumsy hug once he’s close enough. Both their bags and backpacks get caught up in the greeting as well.  

“Bro! I missed you.” 

“Me too.” Kuroo’s mouth goes into that sly, lopsided smirk he sometimes does.  

Bokuto just stares, grinning goofily back. It seems his brain has slowed to the point where it only helps him register how cool Kuroo looks, and how much he like him. It seems to be happening more and more lately. Even when Kuroo isn’t around.  

Suddenly his roommate’s eyes narrow as he looks at something beyond Bokuto.  

“Isn’t that the train?” 

“Oh, crap.” 

They choose a cabin with a few other kids their age and sit in a pair of seats near the middle. Kuroo takes the window seat after they cram their bags overhead. He looks about as put together as Bokuto. A jean jacket over a baggy, non-descript t-shirt, and soft, drawstring pants paired with his familiar old tennis shoes that have seen better days. But somehow he makes it look more effortless than homeless.  

Kuroo turns and catches him staring and hurriedly, Bokuto tries to make some conversation.  

“So, how was your break?” 

“Good. Relaxing. I think I’m officially over the stress fever.” He jokes.  

“That’s great!” Bokuto really had planned on waiting, but now he can’t stop himself from blurting everything out. “Because I was thinking we should go out before school starts.” 

“Oh yeah?” Kuroo raises his eyebrows amusedly.  

“Yeah. I was thinking… volleyball?” he pauses to gauge Kuroo’s reaction. “At the beach?” 

He laughs. “What beach?” 

“I mean,” he whines through his nose while Kuroo snorts at him. “Not the beach. The sand pit courts by the park.” 

“Oh!” Kuroo continues to snigger. “Yeah, that would be fun.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I’d love to play down there. I haven’t been yet.” 

Immediately, Bokuto’s excitement intensifies. “Sweet! You can help me with my blocks and then we could get ice cream or something.” It’s almost a reflexive phrase at this point. They seem to eat a lot of ice cream together. Kuroo nods eagerly all the same and Bokuto breathes a silent sigh of relief. Majime was right. He doesn’t need to go over the top.  

“That sounds awesome.” Kuroo’s nose scrunches when he smiles this time. “Dude, I can’t wait.” 

“Right? It’s going to be awesome.” 

“Thanks for planning it.” Kuroo leans toward him as the train jostles all the passengers.  

“I’m pretty good at this dating stuff, huh?” Bokuto asks probably as much for his own validation as he does for Kuroo’s opinion. 

“Definitely,” Kuroo smirks and presses a quick kiss against the side of his face.  

Bokuto feels a bit too hot and sweaty under his hat after that. 

They spend the rest of the journey talking about the upcoming semester, comparing professors, and making fun of their classmates. Kuroo goes on a long rant about the strange smell that lingers in the science building, with Bokuto chiming in his theories as to what might have caused it. They are both gasping with laughter by the end of it. 

Bokuto collapses against Kuroo as he comes down from hysterics. Gently, a hand comes to lay over his upper arm and strokes it. Carefully, Bokuto shifts down to rest more comfortably against Kuroo’s chest and watches hypnotized as he trails fingers softly over his bicep, then lower, stimulating the sensitive underside of his forearm. He shudders slightly when the motion is repeated. Kuroo continues for some time until his arm is completely numb and his eyes are drooping closed. He feels safe and warm and so happy right now. He hopes Kuroo feels the same. Maybe their dates won’t be all tuxedos and champagne like in the movies, but they can be just as romantic. He stills Kuroo’s hand on his arm and entwines their fingers together, trying to convey what he’s thinking into something more concrete. The squeeze Kuroo returns makes him think maybe he succeeded.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel kinda guilty about making Kuroo get sick and cry. (I'm a monster?) I just HC him being a bit repressed about his own emotions so when he does have to deal with some, they kind of all come out at once. 
> 
> Also, I know I said this takes place in Tokyo, but I don't know much about trains, or universities, or anything really, so things are pretty vague and if the surroundings etc. sound more American than Japanese... forgive me.   
> Anyway, I'm excited to write the next part now! 
> 
> Thanks again for reading and encouraging:) As always, corrections are welcome.


	3. Dating Details

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First dates with your best friend mean you don't have to hold back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys. I haven't forgotten about this fic. I feel really bad for leaving it for so long though. 
> 
> *Mild spoiler*  
> See, I had some trouble with this chapter 'cause I decided they should get frisky. But then, I forgot I'm super ace. For my virgin-y ass, writing it was like... so hard? I apologize in advance. I'm still not sure if it reads as cute smexy times or if it's just horrible second-hand embarrassment. So...yeah.

“Shit!” 

Bokuto’s curse echoes loudly through the park. It makes Kuroo turn self-consciously to make sure there aren’t any little kids around. Luckily, it’s late enough most people have already left the area. The last shimmers of sunset heat the air. They’ve been playing on the sand court for hours, through the hottest part of the afternoon and now into early evening. Their legs are coated in grains of sand, faces tinged with pink sunburn along their cheeks and they are both drenched with sweat. Kuroo yanks the bottom half of his shirt up to wipe some out of his eyes while Bokuto recovers from his botched dive under the net. 

“That was a dirty trick.” he accuses, brushing sand off the creases in his knees and bouncing the ball up with one hand.

“I’m just surprised you didn’t see it coming.” Kuroo scoffs. He gets into position to catch the ball for his upcoming serve and raises his eyebrows when Bokuto doesn’t mirror him from across the net. 

“I need a minute.” Bokuto raises a finger before bending forward to breathe, arms braced against his knees. 

It’s probably the first break he’s voluntarily taken the whole time they’ve been playing, which means he’s finally flagging. His boundless energy has lasted them this long. Kuroo hasn’t even had time to assess his own body. Now he’s all-too aware of the streams of sweat coursing down his shirt and making it stick to his arms and waist. Literal drops shake off him with every movement, and he’s drenched all over. His body buzzing with the exertion of playing this long and hard. It’s one of the greatest things about practicing with Bokuto. They can both go all out. Kuroo’s not afraid of tiring him out like he would be with Kenma. Or playing too rough and offending him somehow like he might be with Yaku. Bokuto can take it, and he dishes out just as much. Both pushing each other to their limit. Kuroo relishes the feeling of losing himself completely to the game, and even now the feeling of his sweat coating his skin he can’t help but feel satisfied. He can tell his muscles are going to complain tomorrow, but right now they feel warm and loose and ready. His stomach is empty but all the exercise is keeping his appetite at bay, and all he can feel is the warm sensation of his core and the deep ache of wanting to push himself even more. 

“I’ve really missed volleyball. We should practice here more often.”

“Ugh…” Bokuto groans from his position over his knees. 

Kuroo chuckles. “Can’t take any more? We can stop if you want.” 

He lifts his head lets out a long sigh. “I just can’t take this sand. I thought it would be easier, but it just makes it harder to jump. Plus, it’s annoying.” He makes a show of dusting off his shorts and elbows, a small cloud of sand trickles to the ground. Then he chucks the ball over for Kuroo to catch. “Let’s do one more point.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. One more. C’mon.” 

Kuroo slings the ball up for a serve and rushes forward as Bokuto knocks it back. They’re both able to get a few more passes before his drops down on Kuroo’s side. The point doesn’t amount to anything since neither of them has been keeping score. Simply playing for the sake of playing and trying out new moves.

“We should get some other people next time so we can play two-on-two,” Bokuto says. 

“Definitely.” 

They both take a moment to down some water on the side of the sand pit. Kuroo has one foot on grass, the other sinking into the hard-packed and gravelly sand as he tips his bottle back. Although he’s insisted on taking periodic breaks for water, his throat is parched. 

Bokuto pulls back from his own bottle with a loud gasp. He wipes his mouth with the back of his hand then makes a noise of disgust and spits when he comes up with lips coated in grains of gravel. 

Kuroo watches all this out of the corner of his eye and laughs around the opening of the water bottle in his mouth. 

“We can never play here again!” Bokuto declares, sending a glare his way. “I never knew sand was so annoying.” 

Kuroo watches him struggle to wipe off his mouth with a clean patch of fabric from his shirt. “Didn’t you ever go to the beach as a kid?”

“No. We always went to the mountains for hiking and stuff.” 

Kuroo just laughs. 

“You mock my suffering.” Bokuto spits more sand out of his mouth for emphasis. “What kind of boyfriend are you?”

“The kind who can handle a little sand.” He grins. 

Bokuto ignores him, taking more gulps of water. 

Kuroo snorts at his petulance and slings an arm around his shoulders. Then, realizing he can, kisses Bokuto’s grainy temple. This seems to brighten his mood considerably. He tosses his bottle aside in the grass and slides forward into the embrace. Kuroo welcomes him. A hand comes up to caress the side of his jaw and suddenly their lips are brushing together. 

It’s the first kiss Kuroo’s always imagined. There’s a nice tingling in his chest and a buzzing in his brain and he’s so in love with the way Bokuto keeps his hand warm and light under his chin, the other hovering over his neck. They are both warm and smell like sunscreen and sweat. Bokuto tastes like salt and sand. He lets his arms wrap around his boyfriend’s frame, clutching at the fabric of the shirt around his waist. They part for a breath, noses nearly touching. 

“That was an awesome first kiss,” Bokuto says. 

“That wasn’t our first kiss.” 

His eyes widen and he pulls back. “What are you talking about?”

It’s almost a relief he wasn’t alone in missing it. “At the train station before we left for the break. You kissed me goodbye.”

Bokuto’s eyes are nearly popping out of his head. “I did?” 

He nods, laughing a little at the expression on Bokuto’s face. “It’s okay. We can pretend this was the first one.”

Bokuto nods and Kuroo nudges in again, this time intent on getting some real action. Their mouths part a little wider and Kuroo is able to take all of Bokuto’s lower lip into his mouth which he hums on before release. Bokuto happily reciprocates with some tongue against his lips and Kuroo lets himself get lost in the shivers pulsing up his spine. He’s never been touched this much or touched anyone else this much. Every slight movement from Bokuto’s fingers on his jaw and throat have him shuddering with sensitivity. Every stroke of his tongue or renewed suction of lips makes him tremble. He feels heady and high. It’s overwhelming and exhilarating. He’s not sure what to do with his own hands at all. Lost in sensation, he just keeps spasming his fingers into the fabric at Bokuto’s waist. They break apart to breathe and Kuroo ducks his head into the crook of Bokuto’s neck. 

“That was awesome!” Bokuto’s voice vibrates through him. 

“Yeah.” He drags his nose up his neck and kisses the tip of Bokuto’s chin lightly. Straightening to his full height, he runs his hands up Bokuto’s sides and reaches around to pull them together into a tight, sweaty hug. “Thanks for the date.”

“Dude, anytime!” Bokuto strokes a hand through the hair at the back of his head, making grains of sand shift loose out of it. 

They pull away to arm’s length, though Bokuto keeps his hands buried in his hair and Kuroo can’t help smiling at the huge, eager grin on his boyfriend’s face. “So, what’s next on the agenda?” Kuroo has to strain to keep his face normal while Bokuto rakes fingers over his scalp. It’s apparently a weakness of his, Bokuto already likes to take advantage of. 

“Hmm… I don’t know.” He flexes his fingers again and Kuroo gives in, leaning his forehead onto Bokuto’s collarbone. 

“That feels... so good.” He sighs, half-hoping he won’t be heard.

“Yeah, I know.” Kuroo can hear the laugh in his voice. “We could go back and eat and then I could scratch your head for a while.”

Kuroo opens his mouth to retort but only succeeds in breathing heavily onto Bokuto’s chest for a moment. “But that’s no fun for you.” He manages. 

“Actually, it is,” Bokuto explains. “You kinda look like a zombie, and that’s always hilarious!” 

“Shut up.” Kuroo pulls his head back up, making Bokuto’s hands slide down onto his shoulders. “How about we go back, eat something, shower, then cuddle for a while. You can scratch my head then if you want.”  

Bokuto makes a sort of crowing noise. “You’re a genius.”

It’s actually a pretty lame as far as dating plans go, but Kuroo has some ulterior motives for suggesting it, Bokuto’s kiss giving him some ideas. Luckily, he’s is kind of dense when it comes to that kind of subtlety. 

Bokuto pushes in, wrapping his arms around Kuroo’s shoulders and back and kisses him sweetly one more time. “You’re the best.”

Relaxing in front of their crappy television, freshly showered and full from dinner, Bokuto feels on top of the world. Kuroo’s already settled next to him, lazily drawing fingers up and down his right arm. It feels incredible. They’ve always been borderless with each other. Casual touches were never a big deal and now that they can do more, he can hardly keep his hands to himself. Right now, he has one of his in Kuroo’s hair as promised, gently scratching at the scalp. Though to be honest, ever since his other arm started being lavished with attention he hasn’t been as diligent in his own fingers. Giving up, he lets them slide down into his lap and watches as Kuroo increases the soft touches up and down both his forearms. 

“Your arms look great,” Kuroo comments idly. 

“Yeah?”

“They make you do more weights, huh?”

“Tons.” 

“Mmm…” Kuroo sighs, “I like it. Thank your coach for me.” 

“Hah!” Bokuto lets out a short laugh. “I’ll let him know my boyfriend appreciates it.” 

Leaning over him, Kuroo takes a few seconds to drag his nails up to his bicep, sending goosebumps all the way down the back of his spine. Then he begins to softly kiss the side of his neck all while continuing the soft touches of attention on his arms. The kisses don’t take long to turn more intense. After a while, he’s using a little more tongue, snippets of biting and dividing time between his neck and his lips. 

Bokuto feels weird. Like some kind of doll or a canvas, Kuroo is just taking time to paint and doodle all over. He’s also gotten embarrassingly hard, making his sweatpants strain and his seated position a little uncomfortable. He tries to calm down, pay attention to the TV, but he can’t even remember what they turned on.

“Nuuh. Kuroo, wait.” He pulls away from another heated kiss, a blush overtaking his entire body and making him break out in a sweat. 

“Hmm?” the kisses continue down his Adam’s apple and suddenly a tongue appears making a long, wet mark down it. 

Bokuto jolts. 

Kuroo laughs softly again and pushes his palm down onto his growing erection. “I’m going to jerk you off, okay?” 

_ What? _ Bokuto feels like his brain is screeching into a crash landing. “Are you… Are you sure?” He finally pants out. 

“Yes.” Kuroo’s answer is crisp and clear. “I wanna make you feel good.” That part sounds a little dirtier, breathier, and it makes Bokuto shiver. 

Everything about this day was already amazing and Bokuto can’t even believe his luck, being with Kuroo like this. _Kuroo’s his boyfriend._ The thought still makes him a bit giddy, like spiking the last point in a tight match. 

“Okay.” 

Kuroo shifts impossibly closer and kisses him again, still pressing his hand against his sweatpants. “You smell good.” 

Kuroo smells good too. Not surprising, since they both desperately needed a shower after playing at the park. He smells nice and musky now and his hair isn’t stuck in bed head-mode. The normally crazy strands are soft and everywhere, tickling the side of Bokuto’s face every time they kiss.

They take time trading kisses for a while. Kuroo keeps a hand tucked between them, rubbing against Bokuto the whole time. The other he uses to leverage around the back of his neck, pulling his head up to his and lavishing over Bokuto’s lips. Occasionally he lets him take control, leaning back while Bokuto kisses him. After a while, he leans back completely, separating their faces.

“Tell me if it feels good.” He instructs and palms a bit more over his growing erection. 

Bokuto barely manages to gasp and nod, pulling him further onto his lap. He feels slightly self-conscious about how much he’s enjoying this, letting hot breaths wash over Kuroo’s neck and face. But every time he sucks in a gasp or squeaks out a muffled moan it seems to motivate his boyfriend more. Kuroo keeps teasing his hand over him, but with one more long, satisfyingly squelching kiss he pulls at the soft waistband. Bokuto lifts up his hips a bit to help in the quest to pull them down and suddenly a hand is on his dick, only the thin fabric of his underwear separating skin from skin.     

“You’re so hot,” Kuroo mutters, dragging a fist over him slowly.

Bokuto can’t even respond, just lets his eyelids flutter open and closed, choking noiselessly on air as Kuroo works him over. He pulls off his underwear after a moment more and starts jerking him slow and measured. 

It’s a little awkward in this position, reclined, but not fully sitting or lying down and not entirely undressed. Having Kuroo touch him like this is making him crazy, but at the same time, he’s not pulling at the right angle to get him off quickly enough. He pulls him closer, pressing their mouths together into a messy, wet kiss and shifts just enough to get a better adjustment on his dick. 

“Feels good Tetsu.” He breathes. “Gonna make me come.”

“Good.” 

Bokuto feels his breath halt in his chest. He adjusts against the couch again and watches as Kuroo moves down to the base again. This time the angle really is perfect and Kuroo is dragging his hand up in the perfect rhythm. He kisses Bokuto roughly, sucking on his tongue a little before pulling away to focus on jerking him faster. 

“Love you, Bo.” 

Bokuto grunts at that and feels his entire body break out in a renewed sweat. The pace he’s at now, he feels ready to let go any moment. 

“C’mon babe. You look so good right now. Want you to come in my hand.” 

It’s not even close to some of the dirty talk he’s heard in pornos, but it’s _Kuroo_ , so Bokuto really doesn’t last long after that. Heaving huge breaths once finished, he falls back against the couch and hums a laugh as Kuroo follows, flattening him to the couch and peppering his cheeks with kisses. After a moment, he reaches around them both and uses some tissue to help clean off the mess Bokuto made between them. He feels himself flush with embarrassment about it for some reason. 

“Thanks.” he whispers once Kuroo has situated himself atop him again. 

“No problem.” He winds his arms around him and nuzzles his neck.

“Want me to get you off?” 

“Maybe in a minute.” 

“Tets! I have lots of stamina. I play volleyball every day. I can do it right now.” he moves to push Kuroo off him, but his boyfriend just laughs, not budging. 

“Thanks, but give me a minute. I need to commit that to memory.” 

Bokuto snorts. “What? Do you have a photographic memory or something?

“I wish.” 

Bokuto pushes him up just enough to find his face and plants a big kiss on his lips. 

Having a boyfriend in college is actually a lot of fun. Especially when he happens to be a pretty well-known, muscular, handsome, popular, volleyball player. The day Noa finds out, she beelines straight for Kuroo’s chair in Chemistry, ready to interrogate him. 

“What the hell?” She slaps his shoulder. “I didn’t know you and your roommate were a thing. When did that happen?” 

Kuroo leans back, letting the chair dip between that dangerous point of no return. “We’ve been friends for a long time. We just decided to be a little bit more than friends.” He tries to say it lazily, trying for a nonchalance his heart definitely doesn’t feel. 

Noa’s eyes widen and she slips into the seat next to him. “He’s like, super-hot. I know a few girls who go to the games just to watch him.” 

“Yeah?” Kuroo lets the chair rock back into sitting position. “You still got your eyes for what’s-his-name?”

“Ugh.” She groans. “Don’t remind me. It’ll probably never go anywhere. But man, I didn’t even expect you’d get some before me.”

“Gee, thanks.” 

She laughs, loud and light. “You just seem so serious and studious, or whatever.” 

Her ineloquent finish makes him smirk. “You never know.” 

“Guess not.” 

They fall silent as class begins. Kuroo trying to keep his smile hidden, which seems suddenly incongruent with the subject of math. 

There’s a meeting with a bunch of his classmates after class to compare notes and study for an upcoming test, so when Kuroo finally arrives back at the dorm, it’s later than usual. The first thing he sees is Bokuto. Slumped over the coffee table, he has his head on his arms and a textbook lying open in front of him. He lifts up as Kuroo piles his stuff on the couch. 

“Hey! How was your day?” He walks to stand next to him, placing a hand on the back of his neck.

“It was okay.” 

“Just okay?” He rubs his fingers there gently. 

Bokuto lays his head down again. Apparently, it’s been one of those days. 

“Have you eaten?” 

Bokuto makes a negative movement and Kuroo nods to himself before wandering into the kitchen and pulling out some noodles and frozen vegetables. 

“How was practice?” He has to yell slightly to be heard over his own clattering. 

“It sucked.” Bokuto stands and leans against the dividing wall between the kitchen and living area. “I was all slow and sloppy.”

“Why? Did you not eat enough before?”

“Nah. I think I was tired.” 

“Like, mentally or physically?” the water Kuroo’s heating begins to bubble so he adds some of the ingredients slowly, crinkling the bag of the noodles. When he looks up again, Bokuto is sliding a palm down the side of his face.

“I don’t know. I just sucked.” 

“We all have off-days.” He reaches out a hesitant hand and to his relief, Bokuto grabs hold. “Don’t be too hard on yourself.” 

Bokuto’s been looking down, but looks up now, meeting Kuroo’s eyes. “Can I sleep with you tonight, Tets?” 

“Of course. Of course, Sweetheart.” 

Something flits across Bokuto’s face at the pet name, ending with his lips twitched up in a sort of half-smile. “Need any help with dinner?” He asks. 

“Nah. It’ll be done in a few minutes. You could clear the table though,” 

“Okay.”

That night, after Kuroo slides into his sheets, Bokuto pushes in behind him. A warm form fits around his own and soft kisses are pressed to the back of his neck. 

“I love you so much Tetsu.” 

“Love you too Kou.” 

“You’re so good for me, you know?” 

“Hmm?” Kuroo wiggles around to face Bokuto, adjusting so they can cuddle more closely. “You’re good for me too.”

“Not to be too cheesy, but you’re my best friend.”

Kuroo snuggles into Bokuto’s chest, feeling the vibrations as he speaks.

“And I want to marry you and cuddle with you forever.” 

“Bo,” he warns. “You’re going to have to stop being so cute for two seconds at least.” 

“Why?”

“Because how can I compete?”

Bokuto squeezes him tight and a toothpaste-smelling laugh washes over him. “There’s no competition.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and sticking with me, if you have. And I'm sorry again for the wait. And sorry about the above cheese. Wow.
> 
> I think I might add one more chapter. We'll see. This thing is basically running on my powerful love of bokuro and exactly no plot... as you can see. Anyway. Sorry. Love ya. Yeah.


	4. Finals Week

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo barely survives finals. Bokuto helps out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy finals week! Hopefully most of you are done with school for the moment. 
> 
> I've been done for more than a few years, thank goodness!

Sloppy, wet smooches are a “Bokuto specialty”. One he bestows every afternoon on a slightly unwilling, irritable roommate.

Mid-semester has Kuroo stressed. Stressed with a capital “S”. Most days after class Bokuto finds a completely deserted apartment while his boyfriend holes up in the library. Either that or he finds their dorm filled with papers, textbooks, formula sheets, and a human-looking bundle of tension. Today, as he comes in after practice, the latter has manifested.

Kuroo stands in the middle of their dorm living room. He has a stray pen mark on his chin, a hand clenched around a fistful of hair, and what looks to be an entire binder’s contents spread out across the couch. He stands before it, other hand on his hip like a crazed explorer on the edge of virgin territory.

Bokuto is pretty sure this calls for a Sloppy Smooch ™. After setting down his gym bag, he sidles up to Kuroo and has to physically turn his jaw with his hand.

“I’m home.” He grins before pulling his boyfriend forward and laying an exaggerated kiss on him.

Kuroo blinks and then places both palms over Bokuto’s cheeks pushing them upward. “You’re home.” He repeats softly.

Bokuto wraps both arms around Kuroo and kisses him again, lips even fuller thanks to his cheeks being between two hands.

“How long have you been studying?” He asks while Kuroo gently strokes damp hair off Bokuto’s forehead.

“I can’t remember. I think my brain’s melting.”

“What?” Bokuto laughs.

Kuroo hums his own little laugh before slumping his long frame over him in a soft, boneless hug. Bokuto can shoulder most of the weight, but not for long after the practice he just endured.

“Uh, Babe,” He struggles to keep a grip on the other’s waist. “Unless you want me to crush all your homework, could you… get off for a sec?”

Kuroo releases him and they both stagger away from the paper-covered couch. Bokuto grabs Kuroo’s hand and leads him to his bedroom where they both immediately collapse on the small bed.

Bokuto’s gotten used to avoiding his cranky, over-worked boyfriend over the past few weeks, so to have him suddenly all clingy, arms wrapped tight around his middle, has him suspicious and a little hopeful. It’s been too long since they’ve done much more than peck each other on the lips. Of course, he can’t get ahead of himself. Technically the semester isn’t over yet. (As much as he needs it to be.)

“What’s up?” He finally asks.

“I’m just kinda… done?”

“Okay.” Bokuto presses a kiss to Kuroo’s hair.

They lay like that for a few more minutes. Bokuto lets his hands wander. Stroking softly down broad shoulders and long arms. Kuroo occasionally brushes long fingers against his stomach and nuzzles further into his neck.

“You ready to go back out there?” Bokuto asks after a prolonged silence.

“Not even a little bit.”

“C’mon. I’ve seen how hard you’ve been working and studying. This is the last stretch. You can do it!”

Kuroo laughs. “Will you cheer me on from the sidelines?”

“Yes!” Bokuto pumps a fist into the air above them. “Of course, man!”

Kuroo grins up at him. “Will you make dinner?”

“Um,” Bokuto has to hesitate as he’s forgotten everything they currently have in the pantry. “Yes!”

Kuroo snorts and shifts so he can lean over and kiss him.

This time their kiss is slow and light. Like they have all the time in the world. They don’t.

Kuroo stands after their heartbreakingly short make-out session, Bokuto lifting himself up with his abs to follow Kuroo’s mouth. 

“Where’ya going?”

“I’m gonna do this.” he helps pull Bokuto up off the bed. “I’m going to finish the project and then I’m going to kiss you all night.”

“Really?” Bokuto doesn’t even try to hide his excitement.

“Really.”

  
  


Maybe he shouldn’t have promised Bokuto future kisses. Right now all Kuroo wants is the sweet kiss of death. The work for his final project and paper is now compiled and organized, but just thinking about getting it “presentation ready” makes him want to throw up. Not helping his nausea is Bokuto’s unappetizing concoction of Ramen and soggy vegetables, still untouched in the bowl next to his elbow. It doesn’t necessarily taste bad, Bokuto made sure to add a decent amount of spices and flavor, but the texture of the vegetables has turned Kuroo off of food for the moment.

“You done?”

Bokuto bounds over to sit next to him. Kuroo just hopes he’s talking about the pile of papers in front of him and not the forgotten noodle bowl.

“Nearly. I just have to get it all ready to turn in tomorrow.”

“So…” Bokuto leans over and whispers right below his ear. “Does that mean you’re free?”

Kuroo doesn’t answer. Merely shuts his eyes as Bokuto begins to softly kiss his neck. Carefully, two arms encircle his shoulders, and he slowly gets pulled closer to Bokuto’s chest as the kisses continue. A hand rakes through his hair, making it stand on end. Kuroo shudders as the back of his neck gets a few wet kisses.

“I missed you.” comes a halting whisper.

Kuroo sighs and turns to capture Bokuto’s mouth with his own, arms coming up to cup his face. “Me too.”

Making out with Bokuto never gets old. It never feels awkward or too vulnerable. Like most of their relationship, it extends naturally. A further part of their friendship and understanding of each other.

He slides onto Bokuto’s lap and pets down his chest and arms as their kissing intensifies. He’s still exhausted, but feels almost energized at the thought of making Bokuto feel good. It’s like a turn-on for him. But just as he’s considering all the delicious possibilities, he’s pulled completely onto his boyfriend’s lap and hefted up. Bokuto gets to his feet and Kuroo quickly wraps his legs around his middle with a surprised squeak.

“Bedroom?”

“Mmm…” Kuroo agrees, trailing little bites down the muscle-y column of Bokuto’s neck and feeling ridiculous for not putting his feet down and making Bokuto carry him in.

“You know, for a skinny guy, you’re pretty heavy,” Bokuto complains, plopping him down on the bed.

“I’m over six feet you know” Kuroo counters.

“Me too,” Bokuto says wickedly.

Kuroo giggles into his mouth as they start kissing again. “What would you do if I fell asleep while we were making out?”

“What?” Bokuto pulls back, looking startled.

Kuroo laughs again. “Just asking. ‘Cause it might happen.”

Bokuto makes a whining noise. “Tets! C’mon dude! I’ll make it quick.”

“Okay, okay.” Kuroo placates him with a pat on the shoulder.

Bokuto moves to lie next to him and strokes a hand down his waist. They pick up kissing where they left off. It’s a good rhythm, familiar, and just hot enough to keep Kuroo awake.

A sudden knock on the door causes them to break apart.

“Who?” Bokuto lifts up looking bewildered.

Kuroo extracts himself from the bed. “I’ll get it.”

Noa stands in the doorway, face a mess of deteriorating makeup and sweat, a bundle of papers in her arms. “Did you finish the project?”

Kuroo sighs and opens the door wider to allow her in. “Just about. I have to put it all together.”

“Can I see?” She pushes in and makes herself comfortable on the couch among his papers.

“I guess. What’s wrong with yours?”

“Everything. Nothing. I don’t know.” She runs a hand through her hair, examining one of his papers.

Bokuto appears, wrapping both arms around Kuroo, face hidden in his neck. “What’s  _ she _ doing here?”

Kuroo feels bad, but what can he do? “Do you want some tea? Water?” He asks Noa.

“I’ll have some tea.”

“C’mon.” Kuroo drags Bokuto with him into the kitchen.

“Tets, Baby. You gotta get her to leave.” Bokuto whines as he sets about making tea.

“Kou, we might just have to wait until next week.” Kuroo can feel the last reserves of his energy dwindling as he talks.

“Fine.” Bokuto makes a pouting face but tugs him into a hug all the same. “I’ll still give you a massage tonight if you want.”

“Seriously?”

“Whatever you need. I’m here for you.”

Kuroo’s entire head blushes.

  
  


Bokuto’s tongue is starting to feel heavy in his mouth. It always gets this way after a few drinks. Of course, whatever level of drunkenness he’s reached, he’s nowhere near his boyfriend. The volleyball team end-of-semester celebration seems to have been Kuroo’s excuse to drink away all lingering stress from finals. As one of the team passes around another round of poisonous-looking shots, Kuroo settles his head deeper into Bokuto’s lap.

“You shou’ grabbme one.” He slurs up at him.

“No way.” Bokuto laughs. “You’ve had enough.”

“...cuttin’ me off…” Kuroo mutters.

Bokuto waves at the passing teammate. Both to clear the alcohol from their path and to acknowledge the offer. His upperclassmen winks at them both. 

The whole team and even some of the Girls teams know they’re dating. Bokuto might have been a little excited to go public with the news. He’s not sure Kuroo’s aware of how much of the university is privy to their relationship, but with how focused his on studies in general, and how underwater he looks right now, Bokuto doubts he cares. As if to validate his thoughts, Kuroo snuggles further onto his thighs and closes his eyes with a sigh.

“Tired?” Bokuto shifts his weight off one hand and pushes it deep into the bedhead before him.

“Mmm…”

“I should take you home. Get you in bed.” He scratches along the top of Kuroo’s scalp where he tends to be the most sensitive. He shivers just the way Bokuto expects, with a slow smile spreading across his face.

“No! I wanna stay.”

“Then don’t fall asleep.” Bokuto teases, tapping his index fingers like drumsticks all over Kuroo’s face.

He scrunches his nose at the disruption, and eventually sits up. Draping long arms around Bokuto’s shoulders he grins, the lopsided smile and slight sway revealing how gone he is. “Didja know I love you?”

“Really?” Bokuto puts on an act of surprise.

Kuroo slaps him lightly on the arm. “Duh.” Laughing, he pushes closer, alcoholic breath washing over them both. Though Bokuto is basically breathing into his boyfriend’s mouth, they don’t kiss right away. Instead, they continue to linger for a few more moments, laughing with each hesitation to actually touch lips.

Once they start making out, Bokuto becomes aware of some of the team giving them salutes with beer cans and sniggering good-naturedly. Bokuto feels a weird swell of pride and possessiveness fill him. Laughing into their kiss he manages to get one middle finger up behind Kuroo’s back, aimed for the room at large.

Wolf whistles and a few cheers erupt from around them. Kuroo, oblivious, blinks hazily around once they break apart and ends smiling at him with one eye closed.

“How do you feel?” Bokuto asks.

“Goooood.” Kuroo climbs further onto him, licking like an overeager cat around his ears.

Bokuto can hear some of the guys laughing. “You’re not feeling sick?”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Hah!” Bokuto lets the laugh burst out of him as he gets licked again. “Okay. That’s good. Let’s stand up.”

With some awkward maneuvering, he manages to get vertical. Their libero helps Kuroo up, who’s still holding onto Bokuto’s shoulders all the while. “Where’we goin’?”

“I’m taking you home.” Bokuto gives his teammate a grateful look before pulling Kuroo into the hall. He stumbles every other step, making their shared gait slow and cumbersome. Kuroo’s so damn tall. His added height gives Bokuto anxiety he won’t be able to hold him up every time he lurches one way or the other.

“There’s a cab out there for ya!” Another spiker claps Bokuto’s shoulder as he passes.

“Thanks, Yuu!”

Once out the door, Bokuto can see a bunch of cabs and driving services were called out. Standard procedure for most Volleyball celebrations, especially when alcohol is involved.

 

Bokuto is not prepared to still be fighting his boyfriend’s groping all the way to the bedroom. He thought the cab ride would lull him to sleep. Instead, he lets himself be pulled onto their mattress back at the dorm, laughing at Kuroo’s frustration at his own incoordination.

“C’mon Kou,” he whines, trying to get Bokuto to fully mount him, or squash him, it’s hard to tell. “Wanna. Wan’ you…”

“What do you want?” All Kuroo’s ineffectual tugging and petting has Bokuto looking and feeling entirely ruffled.

“Wan’ you to fuck me.” Kuroo gasps up at him finally.

“God, you’re such a horny drunk,” Bokuto says. 

Kuroo wraps long arms around his middle and makes little pleading, humping motions. “C’mon, C’mon.”

Bokuto frowns. “I don’t like doing it when you’re drunk. Makes me feel dirty.”

Kuroo lets go of him and collapses back with a groan, rolling his head around dramatically. Bokuto watches this little tantrum feeling both annoyed and amused.

“Kou…” Kuroo whines at him.

“Tetsu. Are you absolutely sure?” Bokuto can’t believe he might be giving into this, but it has been a while. For both of them. “You’re not going to pee, or puke, or pass out?”

Kuroo shakes his head solemnly, glazed eyes doing little to reassure him.

“Promise. I’ll make you feel  _ real  _ good.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. C’mon Kou.”

Bokuto’s so weak. He should hold out, wait for sleep to claim Kuroo. He knows all the things he should do. Instead, he finds himself two fingers into a squeaking boyfriend a half hour later, watching his drunken eyes blink slowly in pleasure.

“Yeah. God. Kou.”

His mutterings have decreased in clarity. Now slurring sleepy hums and squeaking sharply with each new intrusion. Even if banging a drunk Kuroo is not ideal, he’s still pretty cute like this.

“Feel okay?” He asks, purposefully circling around Kuroo’s prostate and watching his long eyelashes flutter against his cheeks.

“Mmm… ready. Please.”

Bokuto handles him gently, pulling out slowly and lubing up generously. He’s not as hard as he’d like, so he leans in and kisses Kuroo for a few seconds, focusing on the feeling of his boyfriend’s own erection and warm breaths in his mouth. Kuroo never fails to excite him though.

A few more sticky kisses later, and Bokuto lines up to push in. They turned on the radio a while ago. It’s tuned to one of the alternative stations and as the night has gone on, the music seems to have gotten more and more morose. Even with it punctuated by the occasional commercial, a steady beating of bass thrums through his sternum. He uses the timing to start up a slow rhythm after they’ve adjusted.

Beneath him, Kuroo is totally zoned. His eyes keep rolling back in his head and his chest is heaving. Every so often he jerks forward with a look of complete sobriety and that’s really starting to freak Bokuto out. Trying hard to slow his pace and calm down, he pulls out halfway.

“Hey,” He lightly smacks the other’s cheek, “Tetsuro. Are you here? You okay?”

He makes some kind of drawn-out groaning and pushes his hips up. “Bo. Need you.”

Very slowly, Bokuto pushes back in. “Am I hurting you?”

Kuroo grunts again. “Need you. Feels good.”

“Okay.” Bokuto tries to ignore the guilty feeling in his chest and concentrates on Kuroo’s face. The way his hand clenches in the sheets. The beating of his heart against Bokuto’s own chest. “I love you.”

Kuroo doesn’t answer except to gasp into his ear.

 

 

Bokuto wakes to find Kuroo sprawled out across him, snoring.

“You’re such a mess.” He tells him. Kuroo just smacks his lips loudly, still asleep.

He really is a mess. But so is Bokuto. They’re a mess of sheets and the smell of sex and alcohol from the night before. Bokuto threads his fingers into Kuroo’s bed head. It’s somehow stiffer and more disgusting than usual. He combs through the tangled strands for a while, listening to snoring and the birds outside the window. Eventually, Kuroo does start to wake up.

With a lot of groaning, he manages to open bloodshot eyes.

“Mornin’” Bokuto cranes his neck to kiss the top of Kuroo’s head. This is only met with more groaning. Bokuto smooths a hand over his bare back and shoulders while Kuroo shuts his eyes so tightly his forehead scrunches up. “How do you feel?” he ventures.

“Holy God. Bo, the fuck did I drink?”

With a little more rubbing between Kuroo’s shoulder blades, Bokuto gives himself enough time not to laugh aloud. “I wish I knew Babe.”

“My head…”

“I know.” Bokuto tries to be sympathetic, but he has a desperate need to laugh at the situation.

“‘M gonna die.”

“You’re not.” Bokuto’s actually shaking with laughter, no longer able to hide it. Kuroo moans as the movement jostles him. “I’m going to get you some aspirin.”

He manages to slip out from under his boyfriend and glances back fondly at Kuroo’s half-naked, face-down form on the bed.

After making him sit up and gulp down a few painkillers, Kuroo blinks at him in confusion.

“Did we fuck in my bed?”

“Yeah.” The guilt from last night comes back with a sickening lurch of his stomach.

“Oh my god, Bo.” Kuroo lays back down, blearily wiping his face.

“What?” Bokuto feels his heart thumping heavily in his chest.

“Was I being super needy?”

Bokuto blinks. “I mean, a little.”

Kuroo makes a kind of keening noise. “Oh my god.”

“Should I not have… encouraged you?” Bokuto hedges.

“What?” Kuroo laughs breathlessly, one hand covering his eyes from the morning light. “No way. I’m just embarrassed I was a drunken, needy mess.”

“Nah,” Bokuto brushes him off, feeling a bit lighter with relief. “You were extra cute.”

“STOP.”

“It’s true.” Bokuto jumps on the bed and crawls over him, kissing Kuroo’s forehead several times. “You’re my favorite adorable, needy, horny drunk.”

“No!” Kuroo pushes fruitlessly at his chest.

“ Yes.”

Their next kiss tastes absolutely disgusting, but Bokuto doesn’t regret it one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading this incredibly self-indulgent, plotless, meandering story:)


	5. Sometimes Ignorance Isn't Bliss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kuroo and Bokuto navigate the grown-up parts of a relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS! I added the angst. Someone be proud of me.

Thinking logically has never been a strong suit for Bokuto. Especially early in the morning. Logically, he knows he shouldn’t be annoyed at Kuroo for running a couple strides ahead of him. It’s not like he does it on purpose. Logically, Bokuto knows Kuroo has longer legs and a leaner frame, which means his beanpole legs are carrying less weight. In fact, they have an unspoken agreement that most mornings Kuroo will stay slightly ahead until they reach the park. But it still stings. It reminds Bokuto of last practice, feeling left behind, impotent, useless on the bench while the regulars played on the court.

In an effort to transmit his feelings, he puts on a burst of speed and maintains the punishing pace next to Kuroo’s side for a few seconds. His boyfriend grins over at him taking his sudden appearance, not as Bokuto intended, but instead as some kind of challenge. He lengthens his stride and outpaces Bokuto the last few meters to the park.

Just as he does every morning, Kuroo slows and waits for Bokuto to jog up to him. Bokuto feels an insane urge to come to a complete stop or cross to the other side of the street just to watch Kuroo jog slower and slower until he finally realizes Bokuto’s not catching up. He barely manages not to follow through with it.

If Kuroo notices Bokuto’s mood, he doesn’t show it. Somehow that fact alone makes Bokuto’s blood boil. He needs to calm down but running only offers so much distraction.

He and Kuroo turn down the path that winds around the park, breathing in and out of rhythm. His competitiveness hasn’t wound down yet, and Bokuto has unconsciously upped their leisurely pace through the last section. They arrive back at the dorms panting and sweating. Kuroo bends over, hands on his knees while Bokuto catches himself on the wall of their building.  

“What was that all about?” Kuroo laughs up at him.

“What?” Bokuto’s voice is abrupt.

“You were going so fast!”

Bokuto tries to shrug, but still breathing heavily, just jerks his shoulders up and down.

Kuroo moves to stretch his calves, an amused expression on his face. They stretch in a thick silence. It seems to grow heavier and heavier until finally, Kuroo looks over at him.

“Hey, you okay?”

“Fine.” Bokuto doesn’t meet his eyes, still stretching his quad. Probably straining the muscle rather than relaxing it.

Kuroo scrutinizes him before venturing, “Are you mad?”

“No,” Bokuto’s surprised by the volume of his own voice. “I’m not mad, alright?”  

Kuroo raises his eyebrow and turns away to pull on his shoulder, but not before Bokuto catches him rolling his eyes. Bokuto feels his jaw lock.

For some reason, Majime’s advice from months ago is ringing in his ears. _Be nice to this asshole? Yeah, right._ Fully aware of how childish he’s behaving, but incensed by the unvoiced sarcasm in Kuroo’s expression, Bokuto thrusts past him into the house. He claims the first shower, feeling no guilt for possibly making Kuroo late to his first class.

The hot water manages to soothe him somewhat, and by the time he’s drying off, he’s nearly finished composing an apology. However, once he catches sight of his boyfriend, who is rushing around the apartment, nose in his phone, Bokuto feels obscurely like he’s the one who’s been wronged. After all, if his own best friend doesn’t care enough to address a problem, why should Bokuto care enough to apologize. He leaves the dorm quickly, shutting the door a little harder than normal.

 

After another dismal practice, Bokuto feels ready to throw something at the wall. Instead, he slams the door to the dorm after entering and chucks his duffle bag at the ground. Kuroo’s head pops up from the couch. He gives him a wary, somewhat pinched look. Bokuto brushes past and heads straight for the shower. Seems Kuroo’s still peeved from this morning.

 _Good._ he thinks savagely.

Bokuto tears off his practice uniform with relish. He avoids looking at himself in the mirror before dousing himself with water. He just couldn’t seem to get his head together during practice.

It’s days like this Bokuto really misses his old high school team. He misses their warmth and support. Even if he played really badly, they all believed he would come back, that they had faith in his abilities. The college team doesn’t seem to have any faith in him at all. He’s just a liability, a weak link in an otherwise solid team.

Bokuto rests his elbows on the wall in front of him and lets the hot water wash over his lower back, loosening the muscles. He could really use some old-fashioned validation and support right now. He considers crawling into Kuroo’s bed tonight, but he still feels angry. If Kuroo really cared, he would have already asked what was wrong. Maybe he’ll call Akaashi.

Bokuto eats dinner hurriedly then escapes to his room. He takes some time to make a little nest out of his blankets on his bed. Majime used to help him make these when he was little, and somehow, surrounded by familiar old quilts and pillows he does start to feel better. After he settles in, Bokuto pulls out his phone and dials Akaashi’s number.

“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi answers with his usual formality.

“Hey! What’s up?” Bokuto tries to exude a bit more enthusiasm than he feels.

“We haven’t talked in awhile,” Akaashi observes, “What’s the occasion?”

“No occasion, no occasion!” He blabbers, “Just wanted to see how you were.”

“I’m good. Just been doing the usual.”

“How’s the team?”

That one question launches Akaashi into a lengthy monologue about the team dynamics, predictions for future matches, and questions about offensive tactics.

It’s not boring by any means and Bokuto asks the right questions. But he did call for some mental reassurance. He just can’t seem to find a good opening. Akaashi always knows what to say to make him feel better. How’s Bokuto supposed to tell him something’s wrong in the first place? He just always used to know. Now with the added distance and lack of face-to-face contact, Bokuto feels vulnerable and rather stupid.

“So, how’s the team over there?” Akaashi asks. It’s an opening. Bokuto dodges.

“Oh, great. It’s awesome.” he lies. “Bit different than high school, but I’m learning a lot.”

“Mmm…” Akaashi hums, “Do you get along with everyone? Is the captain good?”

“Oh, yeah,” Bokuto physically nods, “He’s great. It’s a strong team.”

“I wish I could come watch you play.”

“Me too. I miss you guys.”

“Mmm…” Akaashi agrees. A beat of silence passes, then, “I heard you and Kuroo-san started dating.”

“Huh?” Bokuto’s thrown. Akaashi never talks about non-volleyball topics. “Oh, yeah. I guess we uh… Rooming together.” Then he cringes, realizing how that statement could be taken

“That’s great. I’m glad you two… have each other.”

Bokuto blinks. “Yeah.”

“Well,” Akaashi sighs, “I know you’re probably busy. Don’t want to keep you.”

“Oh nah.” Bokuto protests, “Don’t sweat it.”

“Thanks for calling to check in. I’ll call you next time, deal?”

“Deal!”

Bokuto smiles as they hang up. Even if he didn’t get the support he was looking for, he feels a little lighter. Curling up in his blanket nest, Bokuto wonders if he should text Kruoo. Tell him to come in so they can snuggle. But even imagining Kuroo, he feels a familiar building resentment. Maybe tomorrow he’ll be cooled off enough to deal.

 

 

“Kuroo! You coming out tonight?”

Shigure, a short, burly second-year from the Physics department claps him on the shoulder. His wide smile reveals dimples in both cheeks.

“I don’t know…” Kuroo hesitates.

“C’mon! It’s Wednesday night. What other plans could you possibly have?”

Kuroo considers the question.

He’s not wrong. Wednesday nights are usually reserved for the bulk of his homework load. But with the lull at the beginning of the semester, he doesn’t have much. Plus, Bokuto’s been coming home later and later recently. Kuroo will probably just end up alone or ignored back at the dorm.

“Yeah, alright. Count me in.”

Shigure pumps his fist in celebration. “Sweet. Most of us are meeting at the bar around eight. Bring your boy if you like!”

“Sure. See you there.” Kuroo replies easily.

As he leaves the science building, Kuroo feels a lump of guilt settle in the pit of his stomach. He’ll definitely invite Bokuto if he sees him, but he has a weird feeling... _Is Bokuto avoiding him?_

Shifting the bag on his shoulder, Kuroo pushes the thought away. If something was really bothering him, Bokuto would tell him. Bokuto tells him everything. Even things he really doesn’t want or need to know.

The dorm is conspicuously empty, as predicted. Kuroo feels unsettled by how gloomy the darkened windows look and how big the tiny kitchen seems without any lights on.

He has more than a couple hours to kill before meeting his classmates, but Kuroo suddenly decides he can’t spend them in the empty dorm. He rushes to his room and changes his shirt, grabbing a sleek-looking leather jacket. Halfway through changing his sneakers to some thicker boots, Kuroo lunges for his phone and starts blaring some upbeat music. Unfortunately, it does little to dispel the unpleasant emptiness.

He calls Shigure as he walks to the bus stop.

“Hey! Bokuto’s staying late at practice again. I was going to grab some food before the bar. You wanna come?”

Shigure agrees instantly, and twenty minutes later Kuroo meets him and two other Physics majors at a popular ramen place. Kuroo knows them rather vaguely since they don’t share a lot of the same classes, but the general laughter and light atmosphere helps keep the empty feeling at bay.

By the time they reach the bar an hour or so later, Kuroo’s starting to feel more at ease. The place is packed with familiar faces usually seen around the science building. Kuroo finds Noa in a circle of other Chemistry kids and joins them.

“Where’s Kou?” she asks during a pause in the conversation.

Kuroo takes a sip of his beer and shrugs. He can feel Bokuto’s absence next to him like a physical weight.

“You came here with Shigure, right?” Noa lifts onto her tiptoes to scan the crowd. “He’s pretty cute, don’t you think?”

Kuroo smirks. “I thought you were into jock types.”

Noa rolls her eyes. “He’s got some muscle. Do you think he’d date a first-year?”

He takes another swig of beer. “Probably depends on the first-year.”

“Do you think he’d date me then?” She asks in exasperation.

"Keep in mind, you're at least a head taller than him." Kuroo advises, “Have you even talked to him?”

Noa starts guiltily. “No…”

“Then I guess we’ll never know, will we?”

Noa sticks her tongue out at him. “Some wingman you are!”

Kuroo drains his glass. “Alright. Want me to introduce you?”

Noa's face loses all its confidence. “Wait. No. Let me think about it.”

After a while, someone gets drunk enough to snag the karaoke machine and the night quickly devolves into horrible singing, drunken laughter, and loud music.

A few different times, Kuroo turns to the space next to him, ready to shake Bokuto’s shoulder with a grin before realizing he’s not there.

 

Returning to the dorm a little before midnight, Kuroo is a little drunk and a lot lonely. At least there’s evidence of another person home this time. Bokuto’s gym back sits in its usual spot behind the couch and there are new dirty dishes in the sink. Kuroo pushes open the door to Bokuto’s room and stills.

He’s curled into a little lump on the mattress, a ring of pillows and blankets around him. Only a small part of his face is visible above the duvet, relaxed and soft with sleep. Kuroo had been planning on squeezing into that bed and falling asleep next to him, but seeing Bokuto all snuggled and self-contained makes him pause. He probably really needs to sleep. And probably doesn’t need to be disturbed by drunken, needy boyfriend.

He takes extra care to shut the door without making any noise and trudges back to his own room. Alcohol always makes him weird and emotional, but Kuroo’s still surprised by the tears that prick at the corners of his eyes. _Is it possible to miss someone who’s only a room away?_ Shoving pillows over his head, Kuroo thinks it is.

 

The poisonous smell of nail polish and remover permeates the dorm. Kuroo thought after a while his nose might have adjusted, but every so often he gets a new whiff. Maybe it’s because his own hand has been contaminated. Noa holds it delicately in her own, brushing tiny strokes of color onto his unfiled nails. An array of different shades of pink are lined up on the coffee table before them, while a mindless sitcom plays in the background.

Noa’s been testing the various polishes on him, making tiny strokes side by side on his nails to see which colors look best. Her toenails are filed, prepped and glossed, waiting for the first coat of color, yet she continues to dither. She turns Kuroo’s hand this way and that, watching the pink streaks change in the light.

“Why couldn’t you do this on your own fingers?” Kuroo asks.

“Because,” Noa explains without explaining.

Kuroo turns his attention back to the sitcom.

Her hand is warm. Not uncomfortable. It feels really nice after a week of physical starvation. Kuroo privately reflects that it would be satisfying to have Bokuto arrive home and see he and Noa holding hands. He knows he used to be a little jealous of their friendship. He wonders if he still is...

As if reading his mind, Noa says, “Where’s Bokuto?” She lets go of his hand and picks two tiny bottles off the table.

“I don’t know,” Kuroo admits. “He’s usually back from practice by now, but lately…” He stops himself.

“Lately?” Noa prompts, unscrewing the top of the chosen pink.

Kuroo digs into Noa’s plastic makeup tub and extracts the remover and bag of cotton balls. “I don’t know. Kind of feels like he’s avoiding me.”

Noa makes a sympathetic clucking noise.

“He hasn’t said anything, but all week…” Kuroo begins rubbing his painted nails harshly with a soaked fluff of cotton. “He’s just been weird.”

“Mmm...“ Noa has begun carefully applying polish to her big toe. “Maybe he’s just stressed. You know, from school and volleyball and stuff.”

“Maybe.” Kuroo says, “I get the feeling he’s annoyed with me.”

“Ask him if he is,” Noa suggests.

“You make it sound so simple.” Kuroo grins wryly, flicking the color-stained cotton ball across the room. “What if he’s really angry with me?”

“Then he’s mad.” Noa shrugs. “It’s not forever. At least by clearing the air, you might both get over it faster.”

Kuroo sucks in a deep breath and turns his attention back to the sitcom character’s problems. Their relationship troubles seem easy to solve in comparison.

Noa’s already started methodically painting the other foot when she nudges Kuroo’s side with her elbow. “I think your phone’s ringing.”

“Huh?” Kuroo dives off the edge of the couch in order to dig through his backpack. His phone is indeed vibrating, the screen lit with an unknown number. “Hello?”

“Kuroo Tetsurou?” The voice is female but unfamiliar.

“Yeah?”

“This is the University Fitness Center. I’m calling you as the listed Emergency contact for Bokuto Koutarou.”

“Emergency contact,” Kuroo repeats bleakley.

“We are calling to inform you that Bokuto-san has had an accident during practice and was admitted to the University hospital.”

“What happened?” Kuroo hears his voice rising in pitch.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t get any details. I was just told to call you. I can get you the hospital’s number. They’ll have more information.”

“Okay.” Kuroo jumps off the couch to extract a pen from the backpack.

“Who was that?” Noa asks after he scribbles down the number and ends the call.

“The fitness center.” Kuroo begins dialing the hospital’s number. “Apparently Bokuto’s had some kind of accident.”

Noa blinks and sits up straight.

“Hello? Yes, I wanted to check on a patient who was just admitted. Bokuto Koutarou?”

The nurse on the other line is silent while searching the name. “Oh yes,” she finally returns to the conversation. “Dr. Yamamoto is seeing him now. He’ll be discharged shortly.”

“Can I come pick him up?”

“Yes. If you’re heading here now I can let him know when he gets out. What was your name?”

Kuroo tells her and hangs up. Then feels silly for not being able to ask what happened. It was such a brusque business-like back and forth, Kuroo didn’t even think to ask. His mind is racing. Maybe whatever happened wasn’t that serious… They’re discharging him soon, that means he’s fine. _Right?_

“Tetsu!” Noa shouts to get his attention.

“What?”

“What happened? Is he okay?”

Kuroo blinks, “I don’t know. I’m going to go pick him up.” Then snaps into action, shoving his arms into a jacket and grabbing his wallet.

Noa looks up like she wants to come, but is trapped by her own drying toenails. “I’ll clean up. Call me when you get there!”

Kuroo nods and rushes out the door, stumbling uncharacteristically on the last step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...I just wanted to take some time to thank everyone who reads this. And especially everyone who left kudos and comments on the last chapter. (You know who you are)  
> You'll never know how much those mean to me. This fic is such a rollercoaster and I've literally been working on it off and on for years? Which is weird and I feel like it's is such a personal, weird story... so when people actually like it... IDK. I get emo about it guys. 
> 
> I actually have most of the next chapter done. Just working out a few things:) So look forward to a quick update and conclusion to the above angst!


	6. Making Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes being an emergency contact isn't so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the conclusion to past angst:) Can't leave angst for too long, right?

On the ride to the hospital Kuroo’s thoughts trip forward as he struggles to grip the hand strap on the ceiling of the bus. His brain buzzing with all kinds of horrible scenarios while simultaneously berating himself for not asking more questions of the nurse.

_Why did he tell them he was picking Bokuto up?_

_What if he broke his leg and Kuroo has to somehow support him on and off buses and down the four blocks to their dorm?_

_Why did he act like some kind of adult… with a car?_

_For that matter, why_ the fuck _is he listed as Bokuto’s emergency contact? Shouldn’t that be his parents?_

Kuroo pats his jacket pocket. Maybe he should call Bokuto’s parents. _But what would he say?_ He doesn’t know anything. Suddenly, he remembers Bokuto has a phone. He opens his messages and sends a text asking what’s going on, and notices with some guilt that their last text conversation is dated quite a few days ago. He waits with growing dread and anticipation, but there’s no reply.

 

By the time he arrives at the emergency room, Kuroo’s hands are shaking and he’s sweating through the back of his shirt. He wanders through the electronic sliding doors feeling disoriented.

The air smells strongly of disinfectant and the only sounds are the hushed whispers of other patients and distant beeping.

“Kuroo!” He recognizes the captain of the volleyball team and another teammate of Bokuto’s in the corner of the waiting room. They both wave him over frantically.

“What’s going on?” he asks breathlessly after reaching them.

The captain wipes a hand over his forehead, and Kuroo’s strangely reminded of being huddled with a team, mid-match.

“We haven’t heard for sure, but we’re pretty sure he broke his nose.”

“His nose? How?”

The other teammate laughs a short, harsh “hah” that sounds incongruent with their surroundings. “Ran headlong into a wall. Don’t know why he didn’t pull up short. Guess he was just chasing the ball.”

“He ran into a wall?” Kuroo tries to clarify.

“Honestly,” the captain mutters, “Why he was going all-out in that practice game, I’ll never know.”

The teammate, who Kuroo now recalls is named Shou, grins at him sheepishly. “It was kind of funny, for like, half a second. He just smashed right into it like it didn’t exist!” Shou frowns, “But then his nose wouldn’t stop bleeding.”

“We had the front desk call his contacts before we disbanded practice and came here.” The captain states.

Kuroo considers telling them that he, apparently, is the contact, but decides against it. He’ll call Bokuto’s parents later. “He’s okay though?”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine.” Shou shrugs, “Oh, look! They fixed him up.” He nudges both Kuroo and the captain, looking over at another doorway visible from his vantage point.

Bokuto’s dressed in an old white practice jersey, which contrasts starkly with the stains of dried blood patterned across the collar and down his chest. Kuroo feels his eyes growing wider as Bokuto approaches their semi-circle. His face is also completely covered in blood. Dried rivers starting from both nostrils spill over his lips and chin, with long flecks decorating the column of his throat. A big piece of bandage is taped over the bridge of his nose and dark purple bruising has started under both of his eyes.

“You all fixed?” Shou asks with a gleam of laughter in his eye.

“Yeah.” Bokuto’s voice sounds stuffy, like when he has a cold. “Put some stuff up there to stop the bleeding and got the bone back in place. Supposed to come back in a day or two and get it checked.”

“Any pain meds?” the captain asks.

“Just ice for the swelling and regular painkillers.”

Kuroo sidles closer and reaches out to cup Bokuto’s chin in his hand.

He realizes it’s probably the first time they’ve really looked each other in the eye for about a week. Bokuto regards him warily while Kuroo inspects his face. He uses one finger to gingerly touch the bruising outside his eye.

Bokuto recoils instantly, “That fucking HURTS, Tetsuro!”

“Sorry, sorry!” Kuroo blinks, watching Bokuto struggle not to wrinkle his swollen nose. “I’m sorry!”

Shou laughs lightheartedly, missing the venomous glare Bokuto shoots him.

“Well, take it easy,” the captain starts saying, “Don’t come to practice the rest of the week and when you come back, we’ll start you in slow.”

Bokuto stares gloomily at his shoes and nods.

“Can we leave him with you?” the captain looks at Kuroo expectantly before picking up Bokuto’s gym bag from a chair behind them.

Kuroo takes it from him. “Sure. Thanks for bringing him in.”

Shou and the captain give Bokuto some more advice and go to sign him out at the front desk.

“Where was the coach?” Kuroo asks, trying to break the silence as they walk out to the bus stop.

Bokuto picks at some of the dried blood around his mouth. “Dunno. Suyama was in charge today.”

The bus stop is eerily empty as they walk toward it. Night has silently fallen since Kuroo left the dorm, and the street is flooded with yellow light from one lone streetlamp.

“Why are _you_ here anyway?” Bokuto asks. “Did someone from the team tell you?”

Kuroo feels his eyebrows lift. “I got phoned by the fitness center. Apparently, I’m listed as your emergency contact?”

Bokuto groans. “Oh shit. I forgot about that.”

“What?”  

“We filled out those forms right after we started dating. Some of the guys were teasing me, so I wrote your number down as a joke. Guess I never corrected it.”

Kuroo suppresses a grin. “Should we call your parents?”

The bus lurches up toward them, and Bokuto sighs. “Nah. They don’t need to know how dumb I am.”

After they board and squeeze into a seat together Kuroo touches his arm lightly. “You’re not dumb,” he says.

Bokuto glares, made especially ominous by the blossoming bruises under his eyes. “Do smart people run face-first into walls?”

Kuroo leans in and whispers, “Sometimes the _really_ smart ones do.”

Bokuto rolls his eyes and looks away, mouth set.

They ride in stony silence for a few minutes when finally Kuroo sighs, making his bangs flutter. He decides to try Noa’s stupidly simple advice. “Bo, are you mad at me?”

Bokuto looks over at him with some exasperation. “Mad? No.”

Kuroo quirks a doubtful eyebrow and turns to look out the window. The neon lights of Tokyo blur in the bubbled windows.

He recognizes one of his favorite cafes, dark and closed for the night. It was one of the first places the two of them when they started dating. He remembers it vividly, as it was the first time Bokuto held his hand in public.

“I might have been a little pissed lately.” Bokuto’s voice comes from behind him. “Sorry I yelled at you.”

Kuroo doesn’t look back, “You were in pain.”

“Yeah, but still…” Bokuto still sounds strangely stuffed up. “I guess I was kind of annoyed at you this week.”

Kuroo feels the hairs on the back of his neck rise but tries to ignore it. Focusing instead on the hypnotic flashing of a ramen sign while the bus idles at a stoplight. “Why?”

Bokuto lets out a breath, “That’s the thing, I don’t even have a real reason. I think I was just grumpy because of volleyball. Taking it out on you. I’m sorry.”

Kuroo turns to look back at him. In the dim fluorescents, the blood on his face isn’t as vibrant a red. It makes Bokuto look like a kid who ate chocolate ice cream while it was melting. “What’s up with volleyball?”

Bokuto shrugs. “I just feel kind of… useless. They haven’t subbed me into many official games and… I don’t know.”

Kuroo leans back into the seat. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bokuto shrugs again. “I called Akaashi. He kind of helped.”

“I’m sorry you’ve been feeling that way.” Kuroo puts a hesitant hand near his thigh on the plastic of the bus seat. “For the record, I don’t think the team thinks you’re useless. The captain was really worried about you.”

“He’s supposed to worry about everyone.”

“You’re still a freshman. They all see how hard you’re working. I mean, you threw yourself at a wall today.”

Bokuto snorts then winces in pain. “Ow. Fuck!” He hovers a hand over his nose.

Kuroo hovers as well. “You okay?” he asks once Bokuto’s face has stopped scrunching in pain.

“Fine.”

Kuroo gently puts a hand on Bokuto’s shoulder “Babe. I’m sorry”

Bokuto gives him a guilty look. “No. I’m sorry. I’ve been a dick.”

“Nah,” Kuroo waves him away, “We probably needed a little break from each other.” He stands as the bus grinds to a stop and offers a hand to pull Bokuto up.

As they make their way onto the darkened sidewalk Kuroo keeps a hold of his hand as they start walking the few blocks back to the dorm.

“Hey Bo,” he whispers, “Want to play pretend for a sec?”

“Sure,”

Kuroo bats his eyelashes at him. “So.... You live around here?”

Bokuto shakes his head. “Still need a break from me?”

“Never.” Kuroo leans in to kiss his cheek lightly. “Just giving us a fresh start.”

“Okay,” his voice has a laugh in it. “But why are we, two strangers, holding hands?”

“Not important.” Kuroo decides with a little squeeze of his palm. “So… You go to school here?”

“Yup.”

“That’s cool. I never meet handsome guys around here.”

“Oh yeah?” Bokuto lifts his mouth into a grin.

“Well, except for my boyfriend. He’s probably the hottest guy on campus.”

Bokuto gives a scandalized gasp. “You’re involved? What are you flirting with me for?”

Kuroo nudges him with his shoulder. “For fun, Silly.”

Bokuto shakes his head before continuing the charade. “Tell me about this boyfriend of yours.”

“Okay.” Kuroo moves to wrap his arm around Bokuto’s. “He’s got this really nice face. One of the nicest. And a great bod.”

Bokuto struggles to hide his smile.

“The first time I met him, I thought his face was one of the best I’d ever seen.” Kuroo winks. “I also thought he was a little obnoxious.”

Bokuto’s eyebrows join together. “I thought you liked this guy.”

“Oh I do.” he pats his arm, “That first day, he about talked my ear off. I’d never met anyone who talked that much.” Kuroo wipes idly at the crusted blood on Bokuto’s chin. “Lately, he won’t talk to me though, so I’m really scared.”

“You’re scared?”

They pass the last street sign before their dorm and Kuroo carefully looks both ways before leading them across. “Terrified.”

Bokuto moves to wrap his arm around Kuroo’s middle, rucking up his shirt just a bit and exposing skin to the night air.

“But even if he drives me crazy, I’d seriously be a mess without him.” Kuroo gives him a shy smile before carrying on, “He makes me food when I forget to eat. He comes into my room and cuddles when he’s feeling homesick. He always knows how to make me laugh. He’s really good at making pancakes. He keeps his side of the bathroom really neat and organized.” Kuroo puts a finger to his chin as he talks, “He’s a super good volleyball player. He’s got a little fan club in the Chemistry department because I talk about him so much.”

Bokuto looks surprised.

“One time, during one of his games, he did a dive and didn’t land well. He was fine, but it was so loud and hard I started freaking out in the stands. I almost started crying.” Kuroo pauses, “I never told him about that...”

Bokuto squeezes his waist and their pace slows.

“Today I heard he was hurt, and I was so worried and I didn’t know what to do… I thought I was going to have a heart attack.”

Bokuto’s frowning now but doesn’t interrupt.

Kuroo sighs. “I just love him so much. I love him so much it hurts.” He chuckles softly. “Don’t tell him I told you any of this.”

“Sounds like you have a good thing going,” Bokuto says. “Guess you’re not free tomorrow night?”

“Nope.” Kuroo says happily, “I got a date putting ice on my boyfriend’s poor nose. He broke it.”

“Ouch.” Bokuto deadpans. “Well, that’s too bad, but I wouldn’t wanna wreck such a beautiful relationship.”

“No.” Kuroo agrees, “But there’s really no danger of that happening.”

They stop in front of the steps up to their dorm. Bokuto pecks him on the forehead. “Love you, Babe.”

“Love you too.”

 

  
When they open the door Noa is fidgeting in the living room area, which now has a huge “Get Well Soon!” banner floating above it.

“Koutarou, what happened?”

“I broke my nose.” He says stuffily.

Kuroo dashes past them, laden with Bokuto’s gym bag. “I’m going to get you some ice.”

“It’s fine!” Bokuto yells after him. “I feel fine.”

“How did it happen?” Noa has concern written all over her face.

“Ran into a wall.” A wave of embarrassment floods through him.

“Oh no!” Noa doesn’t look like she’s about to burst out laughing, but it doesn’t stop him from feeling self-conscious. “Did they give you anything?

“Just this kind of… cast-thing.” He points to the tape holding onto the top of his nose.

“Here.” Kuroo reappears, holding a bag of ice up to his face.

Bokuto takes it and carefully presses it against the bridge of his damaged nose.

“You should probably clean up.” Kuroo gestures to the blood stains coating the front of his shirt.

“Oh yeah.” Bokuto hands the ice back to Kuroo and heads toward the bathroom.

“Do you need a hand?”

“Nah,” Bokuto waves at the two of them. “I got it.”

 

In the bathroom, Bokuto eases his shirt off, careful not to let it touch his face. He throws it in the shower to rinse before removing the rest of his clothes and climbing in himself. He watches the pink water swirl away from his jersey and relaxes into the hot spray once his chest and neck are clean. Keeping his face out of the way, he manages to scrub off all the blood off his face without getting his bandage wet. By the time he’s done, Bokuto managed to waste a good fifteen minutes. He enters the main living space dressed in fresh pajamas and with slightly damp hair.

Kuroo’s lying on the couch, a bunch of food and snacks spread out on the coffee table in front of him.

“C’mere. You hungry?”

Gratefully, Bokuto sits next to him and digs into the crackers and sausage slices.

“Where’s Noa?”

“She went home. Feel better?”

Bokuto nods. “‘Fanks” he manages with a full mouth.

After they’ve both eaten and watched an entire twenty-minute sitcom, Bokuto scoots close to Kuroo’s lap. He unfolds immediately, pulling Bokuto back into his chest and hugging him tightly so they’re both sitting lengthwise on the couch. Kuroo hands him another ice pack and starts to play with his hair, running his fingers through the strands and lifting it so it stands up from his head. Bokuto applies the ice and lets condensation drip all over his face and down his wrist.

“Sorry you had such a bad week,” Kuroo says after a while.

Bokuto sighs, “I think we both did.”

“Listen,” Kuroo shifts beneath him, “If I do things that piss you off, we could probably… talk about that shit.”

“Probably,” he agrees.

Kuroo kisses the back of his neck softly. The tired sitcom in front of them switches to a commercial. Bokuto drops his head to one side, relaxing into the embrace and allowing the kisses to continue. Kuroo starts smoothing a hand up and down his chest.

It’s starting to feel really nice, but before he can get too distracted Bokuto twists to look Kuroo in the eyes. “When we run in the mornings, can we run together. Like, don’t run ahead of me.”

Kuroo lifts his eyebrows in surprise then nods. “That can definitely be arranged.”

“Sorry,” Bokuto starts, “It just feels like I’m competing all week, and I don’t want to do that when I’m with you.”

“Okay.” Kuroo whispers. Then he does that little half-smile that makes Bokuto’s heart skip a beat. He curls both arms around Bokuto’s shoulders and hugs him tightly. “Hey,” he taps him on the cheek after relaxing. “Put your ice back on.”

Bokuto fumbles with the wet plastic bag and places it precariously on one side of his face.

“Those black eyes are probably going to hurt tomorrow.” Kuroo comments, spreading long fingers through his hair again.

“They hurt right now,” Bokuto complains.

“Did you take your painkillers?”

“Yeah, Dude. I’m fine.”

“Okay. If you’re in a lot of pain, let me know.”

“I will.” Bokuto smiles. “I’ll start crying like you did in my last game.”

“Shut up.” Kuroo tightens his hold around him. “I shouldn’t have told you about that. I was really worried, you know.”

“I know. It’s actually really sweet.”

“Did you cry when you broke your nose?”

Bokuto moves the ice to the other side of his face. “I mean, I had tears of pain in my eyes. But I was mostly preoccupied with not leaving a pool of blood in the gym.”

“Did you?” Kuroo laughs lightly.

“It was pretty much inevitable. Poor janitor.”

“I bet he’s seen worse.”

“Yeah.”

The show starts up again and captures both their attention. While Kuroo mindlessly strokes his head and scalp, Bokuto pushes his ice pack around on his face.

“You know,” Kuroo begins when there’s a lull in the action, “If you have a week off of volleyball, that means you get to spend more time with me.”

Bokuto quirks up a smile. “You want to do something?”

“Mmm…” Kuroo starts kissing around his ear. It’s a known weakness. Soon Bokuto feels himself drooling as Kuroo slides his tongue around the more sensitive areas. “I have some ideas.”

“I wonder if we can have sex without you touching my nose or my face?” Bokuto muses.

Kuroo laughs. “Let me know when you feel up to experimenting. I know some great things we can do that have nothing to do with your face.”

“Fuck yeah.” Bokuto closes his eyes. “This sounds like a painkiller I can get behind.”

“Is this our first time having make-up sex?”

Bokuto slumps down further into Kuroo’s lap to look up at him upside down. “Did we have a fight?”

Kuroo shrugs. “I kinda feel like we just made up.”

Bokuto mirrors the shrug. “Fair enough.”

“Not to sounds like a cheese-ball, but I hope we never ever fight. Ever.”

Bokuto settles his head down into Kuroo’s lap and struggles to keep his broken nose still as his face scrunches up. “Tetsu, that was maybe one of the cheesiest things you’ve ever said to me.”

His mouth opens in dismay.

“And I think you’ve said more cornball lines than both of my grandparents combined.”

Kuroo flicks a finger at his shoulder. “Shut up. You love it.”

“You bet I do.”

Kuroo leans down to kiss him.

Kissing upside down feels kind of insane and is actually kind of painful for his newly broken face, but Bokuto finds himself smiling into it.

“So, you’re not mad at me?” Kuroo asks after they part.

Bokuto frowns up at him. “No, Stupid!”

Kuroo smiles. “Just checking.” He finds the melting ice pack and puts it back on his face. “Keep that on.”

“You do it.” Bokuto sticks his tongue out.

“Fine.” Kuroo moves one hand to the side of his face and holds the ice in place, stroking his thumb absently against his cheek.

Bokuto closes his eyes.

“You’re going to miss the show.” Kuroo remarks once the commercials switch over again.

Bokuto sighs long and loud, eyes still closed. “Oh well.”

His nose aches dully. The bitter taste of blood lingers at the back of his throat. His face is cold and wet. But for the first time all week, Bokuto feels good.

Instead of feeling that familiar shard of resentment he’s gotten used to carrying around in his chest, Bokuto feels warm and light and happy. He lies still in Kuroo’s lap while his boyfriend holds the ice in place and strokes another hand through his hair, over his face, down his chest. So yeah, maybe they didn’t yell at each other or have a huge argument, but there’s a definitely a palpable feeling of renewed peace and contentment now.

He cracks open one eye and looks up at Kuroo’s face. He’s turned it toward the TV. From the strange angle, Bokuto can watch the way his long lashes brush against his cheeks when he blinks. He marvels at the way Kuroo’s bedhead has managed to stay so messy all day long. He reaches up and puts his palm on the back of Kuroo’s cold left hand. Kuroo looks down at him.

“I’m not mad at you. And I hope we never fight either.”

Kuroo wrinkles his long nose while fighting a smile.

“Love you.”

“Love you too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the notes and kudos from people who enjoyed:) Chat me anytime!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I haven't been able to post much this summer because I'm kind of in the process of getting a new laptop. I do have tons more ideas and inspirations though, so once I have a new writing device I hope to put up a lot more:)
> 
> I also might continue this piece. (Because writing a Bokuro relationship is kind of the best part, and definitely the most fun!)  
> Feel free to leave a kudos, comment, or drop by my Tumblr (http://meganin.tumblr.com/). It would make my day!


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